LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

University  of  California. 

Gl  FT    OF 

/l/t<^.^.:...>../ll.cu'vs...-v^ ii:oiJJ.. 

Class 


'^IBRAR^^ 


PSVCH. 


OF  THE 

UNIVEPS 


THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 


A  CAREFUL  COMPARISON 


OF 


BIBLICAL  AND  MODERN  SPIEITUALISM. 


BY 


MOSES     HULL. 

AUTHOR  OF  "THE  CONTRAST,"  "WHICH,"  "LETTERS  TO  ELDER 
MILES  GRANT,"  "  BOTH  SIDES,"  "  THAT  TERRIBLE  QUES- 
TION," "  WOLF  IN  SHEEP'S  CLOTHING,"  Etc.,  Etc. 

"  The  thing  that  hath  been,  it  is  that  which  shall  be ;  and  that  which  is  done 
is  that  which  shall  be  done :  and  there  is  no  new  thing  under  the  sun." 

ECCLES.  I.  9. 


UINTH   EDITIOW, 

OF  ^'••- 


^ihdS^^^'  CHICAGO: 


MOSBS  HULL  &  CO., 

Cor.  West  40th  St.  and  Chicago  Terrace, 
189I. 


^A1 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  vear  1869,  by 

V/ILLIAM  WHITK  &  CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetta. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  NINTH  EDITION. 


This  book  was  hurriedly  written  twenty-three 
years  ago,  when  I  was  but  a  boy,  comparatively 
speaking.  Many  passages  in  it  are  much  harsher 
than  I  would  write  now.  For  this  there  are  two 
reasons;  the  first  is  I  was  younger,  and,  according 
to  Solomon's  wise  saying,  more  full  of  war  than  I 
am  now.  While  ''young  men"  are  ''for  war," 
''old  men"  are  "for  counsel."  The  second  reason 
is  the  church  has  largely  changed  its  front  in  the 
last  quarter  of  a  century.  Its  opposition  to  Spirit- 
ualism is  not  so  vehement  and  malignant  as  it  was 
at  that  time;  hence,  if  this  book  had  been  written 
in  1 89 1,  instead  of  1868,  many  things  in  it  would  be 
somewhat  modified  and  more  adaptedjo  the  ad- 
vanced ground  taken  by  progressive  Spiritualists 
to-day. 

I  have  tried  to  find  the  time  to  re-write  these 
pages,  but,  as  yet,  have  not  been  able  to  do  so. 

In  my  several  trips  across  the  continent  I  have 
met  hundreds  of  intelligent  Spiritualists  who  have 
assured  me  that  "Question  Settled"  has  done  more 

183105 


than  anything  else  in  the  world  to  take  their  feet 
out  of  the  mire  and  place  them  on  the  spiritual  rock; 
also  I  have  had  hundreds  of  importunities  to  publish 
"just  one  more  edition."  So  I  have  finally  decided 
to  let  this  edition  go  to  press  without  any  revision. 

Its  companion  volume,  ''The  Contrast  between 
Evangelical  Christianity  and  Spiritualism,"  is  re- 
issued from  the  same  press  and  at  the  same  time  as 
this  volume. 

That  this  book  may  lead  many  to  the  light  in 
the  future,  as  it  has  in  the  past,  is  the  humble 
prayer  of  its  author. 

Moses  Hull. 

Chicago,  111.,  June  i,  1891. 


PREFACE. 


A  WISE  man  has  said,  "  To  the  making  of  many 
-^-^  books  there  is  no  end."  This  is  literally  time. 
Especially  has  spiritual  literature  increased  so  rapidly 
during  the  past  few  years,  that  it  requires  close  atten- 
tion to  keep  track  of  the  matter  almost  daily  issuing 
from  its  press.  Yet,  in  our  six  years'  effort  in  behalf 
of  the  doctrines  advocated  in  these  pages,  we  have  again 
and  again  observed  a  niche  that  we  had  hoped  ere  this 
to  have  seen  filled.  Speaking  of  this  a  few  weeks  since, 
a  friend  suggested  that  it  was  our  duty  to  stand  in  this 
gap.  As  we  could  see  no  signs  of  others  who  wield 
more  instructive  pens  occupying  this  field,  we  have  un- 
dertaken so  to  do.  How  well  we  have  succeeded  is  to 
be  decided  by  our  readers. 

When  we  contracted  with  our  pubhshers,  two  months 
since,  not  a  word  of  this  volume  was  written :  we,  how- 
ever, at  that  time  supposed  we  had  the  plan  of  the  work 
arranged ;  but  our  inspiration  has  stubbornly  and  per- 
sistently refused  to  follow  our  plan.  The  book  has 
shaped  itself,  seemingly,  almost  without  our  aid. 


4  PREFACE. 

When  we  took  our  pen,  we  seemed  to  see  a  huge 
chaotic  mass  of  material  to  work  into  this  book ;  and, 
until  it  was  half  done,  we  hoped  to  weave  it  all  in :  but, 
like  the  widow's  oil,  it  has  greatly  multiplied;  and, 
now  that  our  book  is  done,  we  see  so  much  more  that 
has  been  left  out  of  its  pages  than  has  been  admitted, 
that  we  more  strongly  than  ever  see  the  necessity  of 
another  voliune. 

Should  this  volume  meet  the  approbation  of  those  for 
whom  it  was  written,  another  may  follow  soon.  This 
has  been  prepared  amid  the  clash  of  spiritual  arms.  It 
has  all  been  written  and  rewritten  inside  of  eight  weeks, 
while  lecturing,  preaching,  debating,  editing  a  journal, 
answering  correspondents,  &c.  It  has  been  written  in 
the  cars,  in  hotels,  boarding-houses,  dep6ts,  and  sitting- 
rooms  ;  in  fact  under  the  varying  circumstances  attend- 
ant upon  the  life  of  an  itinerant. 

Traveling  as  we  have,  we  have  had  but  Httle  chance 
to  examine  libraries  or  consult  books.  Indeed,  it  was 
unnecessary,  as  our  only  aim  has  been  to  faitlifully  com- 
pare the  Bible  with  modem  phenomena  and  philosophy. 
If  we  have  succeeded  in  this  we  are  content. 

MOSES  HULL. 
HOBABT,  Ind..  May,  1869. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAFI'ER  I. 


THE    ADAPTATION    OF    SPIRITUAXISM    TO    THE    WANTS    OF   HUMANTTT. 

PAGB. 

No  Argument  so  good  as  that  of  Adaptation  —  Religions  must  adapt  them- 
selves to  Men  —  Religions  and  Sciences  have  failed  to  demonstrate  an 
After-Life  —  Two  contradictory  Chains  of  Thought  in  the  Bible  —  Law 
forbidding  Consultation  with  the  Dead  —  Its  Effect  —  Bible  Writers  in 
Doubt  as  to  a  Future  —  A  Dialogue  —  Spiritualism  convinces  a  Minister 
of  his  Immortality  —  Dying  Minister  in  Despair  —  Why  this  Appetite 
for  a  Knowledge  of  a  Future  —  Counterfeit  Spiritualism  an  Evidence  of 
a  Grenuine  —  Spiritualism  not  a  Phantasm  —  Men  love  Spirit-Commu- 
nion—  Illustration  —  Spirits  retain  their  Regard  for  Mortals  —  Is  it  Im- 
agination—  Where  and  What  is  the  Land  of  the  Dead  —  All  interested 
in  the  Question  —  Sick  Healed — Endless  Progress  —  Theodore  Parker 

—  Abraham  Lincoln  —  A  Pi"oof  of  the  Truth  of  Spiritualism  in  its 
Beauty  —  Conclusion U 

CHuVPTER  n. 

THE    MORAL    TENDENCY    OF    SPIRITUAXISM. 

A  Natural  Query  —  Jesus  regarded  as  a  Blasphemer  and  a  Devil  —  Every 
new  System  passes  an  Era  of  Calumny  —  Persecution  purifies  —  What 
Good  has  Spiritualism  done  —  Opponents  unfair  —  Imraorahty  in  the 
Churches  —  Religious  Systems  not  responsible  for  Errors  of  their  Ad- 
herents—  None  perfect  —  All  are  God-makers  —  Men  worship  their* 
own  Opinions  —  Short-comings  of  Bible  Saints  —  Jewish  Church  —  Tes- 
timony of  Jeremiah  —  Of  Jesus  — Of  Paul  —  Drunkenness  and  "Free- 
lovism"  in  the  Earl j^  Church  —  Errors  of  Noah  —  Abraham  —  Isaac  — 
Jacob  —  The  twelve  Patriarchs  —  Moses  —  Joshua  —  Samuel  —  David  — 
Solomon  —  Jesus  —  Peter  —  Paul  —  Spiritualism  a  Reform  School  — 
Welcomes  Sinners  —  Churches  disfellowship  Sinners— •  Illustrative  Case 

—  "Come  and  go  with  us"  —  Phenomenal  Spiritualism  —  It  appeals  to 
our  deepest  social  Feelings  —  The  Theory  of  Spiritualism  the  best 
moral  Governor  —  Its  Philosophy  — A  Contrast  —  Orthodoxy  and 
Heathenism  —  Eternal  Punishment  for  Sin  —  Familiar  Story  —  Is  it 

5 


G  CONTENTS. 

Just  —  Living  and  Dying  in  Heaven  —  No  Barriers  to  Sin — No  morai 
Change  at  Death  —  Illustration  —  We  are  Authors  of  our  Destinies  — 
Conclusion 81 

CHAPTER  m. 

BIBLE    DOCTRINE    OF   ANGEL    MINISTRY. 

A.  Common  Doctrine  —  Angels  are  Spirits  —  Terms  "  Man  "  and  "  Angel " 

—  Angel  Men  visit  Abraham,  Lot,  Joshua  —  The  Host  of  the  Lord  —  An 
Angel  appears  to  Gideon ;  to  Manoah's  wife ;  is  introduced  to  Manoah 

—  Writing  on  the  Wall  —  Daniel  a  Superior  Medium  —  Gabriel  both  a 
Man  and  Angel  —  The  Stone  rolled  from  the  Sepulchre  by  a  Man  —  Cor- 
nelius's Visitant —  Peter  a  Trance-Medium  —  A  Spirit  talks  to  him  — 
Peter's  Explanation  —  The  Book  of  Revelation  a  Series  of  Spirit-Com- 
munications—  John  sees  his  Brother  —  An  Angel  —  God's  Family  — 
Bible  replete  with  History  of  Angelic  Ministration  —  No  Bible-Writer 
has  tried  to  prove  it  —  All  the  Angels  are  Ministering  Spirits  —  Number 
of  Angels  —  Bible  Saints  trusted  too  much  to  the  Angels  —  Abraham's 
Confidence  —  Angels  select  Isaac's  Wife  —  "Murder  will  out"  —  Moses 
and  the  Angel  —  Angels  deliver  Israel  —  A  Whole  Nation  of  Mediums 

—  Conditions  must  be  obeyed  —  Joshua  developed  as  a  Medium  — 
Joshua  and  the  Angel — A  Circle  —  Jericho  taken  —  The  Modus  Ope' 
rancli  —  Camels  swallowed  and  Gnats  rejected  —  Angel  Ministry  vs. 
Miracle  —  The  Hebrews  and  the  Fire  —  Nebuchadnezzar  sees  an  Angel 

—  Jugglers  play  with  Fire  —  Chemicals  prevent  the  Penetration  of  Heat 

—  Letter  fi-oni  Rev.  J.  M.  Peebles  —  The  Explanation  —  The  Result,  an 
Increase  of  Faith  —  Master  Frank  Goodman  —  Mr.  D.  D.  Home  and  the 
Fire  Tests  —  Daniel  and  the  Lions  —  Prayers  answered  by  Angels  — 
Jesus' Prayers  —Daniel's  Prayer  —  Angel's  Effort  to  answer  —  Another 
finally  assists  and  succeeds  —  The  Emancipation  Proclamation  —  An 
Ancient  Prayer-Meeting  —  Peter  let  out  of  Prison  —  Peter  at  the  Door 

—  Only  Spirit-Raps  —  Modern  Mediums  released  from  Prison  —  Author 
does  not  believe — Admonition ,      48 

CHAPTER  rV. 

THE    THREE    PILLARS    OF    SPIRITUALISM. 

Spiritual  Platform  —  Three  Propositions  —  Man  has  a  Spiritual  Nature  — 
Spirit  not  immaterial  —  Spiritual  Man  —  Source  of  Evidence—  Biblical 
Testimony  —  Elihu  —  Zeplianiah  —  Papal  Deci-ee  —  Hard  Questions  — 
Can  not  answer  all  —  Spiritual  Senses  —  Blind  and  Deaf  Man —  inns' 
tration  —  Man  Double  —  Two  Fathers  —  Two  Sources  of  Knowledge  — 
Peter  awakened  —  Two  Contradictory  Histories  of  Jesus  —  Both  true 

—  Jesus  did  not  always  believe  his  own  Prophecies  —  Somnambulism 
an  Important  Witness  —  Author's  Case  —  A  Lady  and  the  Fine  Arts  — 
Dr.  Slade  and  Spirit  Pictures  —  The  Modus  Operandi  —  Psychometry 

—  Discourses  read  from  the  Hand,  the  Walls  of  the  House,  &c. — 
Paul's  Case  —  (Jutward  and  Inward  Man  —  One  iierishes,  the  other 
endures  —  Modern  Facts  —  Apparitions  of  the  Living — Mrs.  Hauffe 


CONTENTS.  7 

—  Lady  in  Albany  —  Apparition  at  St.  Louis  —  Iliram  Dayton  badly 
mixed  —  Ills  Father  appears  —  Case  in  New  Orleans  —  Drowning  Per- 
sons—  Spirit  continues  after  the  Death  of  the  Body  —  Spirit  a  Con- 
scious Entity  —  Spirits  in  Prison  —  Gospel  preached  to  the  Dead  — 
Spirits  return  —  Modern  Spiritualism  a  Repetition  of  that  of  the  Bible 

—  Samuel  and  Saul  —  No  Devil  or  Witch  in  the  Case  —  Joscphus's  Tes- 
timony—  Character  of  the  Woman  —  Moses  and  Elias  —  "  Only  a  Vis- 
ion"—  Various  Phases  of  Manifestation  —  Child  Medium — Written 
Communication  from  Elijah  the  l^rophct  —  Belshazzar's  Palace  Wall  — 
Elias  must  come— John  the  Baptist  a  Medium  —  This  was  Elias  — 
"He  hath  a  Devil"  —  Ezekiel's  Mediumship  —  Saul  a  Medium  —  An 
Evil  Spirit  ^^sits  him  —  Modern  Evidences  —  Dr.  Johnson's  Testimony 

—  Vision  of  a  Fi-ench  Marquis  —  Prediction  fulfilled  —  Testimony  Con- 
clusive      77 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE    BIRTH    OF    THE    SPIRIT. 

All  Subjects  Important  —  "  Ye  must  be  born  again"  —  Xicodemus'  Quan- 
dary—  A  Minister's  Opinion  —  Author's  Objection  —  Jesus'  Tests  — 
Must  be  born  out  of  Flesh  —  Birth  of  the  Siiirit  a  Resurrection  —  Not 
of  Flesh  and  Blood  —  Bible  against  it  (1  Cor.  xv.)  —  Natural  and  Spirit- 
ual Body  —  Opinion  of  the  Woman  of  Tekoah  —  Of  Job  —  Of  Jesus  — 
Objections  answered  —  Mortal  Bodies  quickened  —  Must  eat  Christ's 
Flesh  —  Job  and  the  Worms  —  Job  refers  to  his  Recovery  —  He  did  see 
God  —  Scientific  Arguments  —  Change  of  Matter  —  Interesting  Dialogue 

—  Is  the  Mind  an  Entity —Abraham  in  the  Resurrection  —  Dust  return- 
ing to  Dust  —  Resurrection  a  Birth  —  Jesus  born  of  the  Spirit  —  Seen  by 
Clairvoyants  —  He  goes  and  comes  like  the  Wind — His  Flesh  and  Bones 

—  Owasso.  the  Boots  and  the  Hand  —  His  Explanation — Jesus  appears 
to  Paul  —  Others  do  not  see  him  —  Test  from  Ananias  —  Jesus,  in  show- 
ing himself,  demonstrated  Immortality  —  Practical  Conclusions  —  Born 
into  the  Other  World  of  this  —  Future  Happiness  and  Misery  made  by 
Life  here  —  Alexander  Campbell  —  The  Good  shall  shine  —  Spirits  and 
Tobacco  —  Appetites  may  be  our  HeU  hereafter  —  Admonition       .        .    113 

CHAPTER  VI. 

ARE    "WE    INFIDELS? 

Rapid  Growth  of  Spiritualism  —  The  "  Mad-Dog"  Cry  —  Charge  ignored  — 
Proceeds  from  Infidel  Hearts  —  Truths  and  Errors  in  the  Bible  —  Dia- 
logue; Minister  wants  a  Bible  —  All  believe  Parts,  and  no  one  believes 
All,  of  the  Bible — Illustrative  Cases  —  How  shall  we  decide  who  the 
Believers  are  —  The  true  Test  —  Works — The  Commission  —  End  of 
the  World  not  yet  —  Jewish  and  Christian  Age  —  Preaching,  Baptism, 
and  Signs  go  together  —  Is  Christ  in  the  Church  —  Signs  follow;  did 
Jesus  tell  the  Truth  —  The  Day  of  Pentecost  —  Holy  Ghost,  Definition 
of — Opinion  of  Opposers  —  Peter's  Explanation  —  "  Wliat  shall  we 
do"  —  This  Power  for  all  —  Abrahamic  Promise — Holy  Ghost  for  all  — 
Gifts  not  to  cease  —  Churches  acknowledge  sc  ne  of  the  Gifts  —  Covet 


8  CONTENTS. 

the  Best  Gifts  — When  will  the  Gifts  cease  —  Advice  cf  James — Eli- 
jah's Prayer  and  the  Rain;  two  Positions — Mind  will  control  Matter 

—  All  Things  under  Man  —  A  Lightning-Tamer  —  Philosophy  of  Rain 

—  Rain  ou  B:ittle-Fields,&c.— Yankee  Climate-Regulators  —  Sick  Lady 

—  A  Dialogue  —  God  not  changed  by  Prayer — Effect  of  Prayer  —  Sick- 
ness the  Result  of  Sin  — Prayer  and  its  Equivalent— Philosophy  of 
Disease  and  Cure  —  Impressions  Mental  and  Physical  —  Philosophy  of 
vomiting  —  Disease  created  and  removed  by  Impressions  on  the  Mind 

—  Death  from  Excitement  —  Whence  the  Power  of  Volition  —  Spirit- 
Writing —  Cause  of  Paralysis  —  Positive  and  Negative  Disease  —  Phi- 
losopliy  of  Controlling  a  Patient  —  Electric  Currents  pass  from  the 
Nerves  of  one  to  another  — The  Spirit-World  supplies  the  Operator 

—  Author's  Experience  in  healing  —  Cause  of  Failures  —  Jesus  some- 
times failed  —  His  Disciples  do  —  Author  has  been  healed  —  Blind  see, 
Deaf  hoar,  &c.  —  Statement  of  Abraham  Clarke  —  Letter  to  "  The  New- 
York  Dispatch"  —  Peter  Manning's  Case  —  Another  Dialogue  —  The 
Devil  did  it  —  Devil  not  so  good,  after  all  —Another  Evidence — Jesus' 
Logic  —  Was  his  Mission  divine  —  Coming  of  Christ — SjTubolic  Clouds 
and  Horses  —  Death  has  lost  its  Sting  —  Challenge  —  World's  Conven- 
tion   144 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

ARE     WE     DELUDED? 

A.  Common  Cry  —  Contradictory  Positions  —  Order  of  Batteries  —  They  fire 
into  each  other  —  ' '  Kettle  Story  "  —  Result  of  the  Warfare  —  Dialogue  — 
God  and  Mediums  deceiving  the  World  —  Are  God  and  the  Devil  Part- 
ners—Is it  just  to  damn  the  World  for  Unbelief — Author  loves  God 
more  than  Bibles  — Lying  Spii-its  sent  out  —  Did  God  do  it  —  Case  of 
Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel  —  Ezekiel's  Explanation  — Spiritualism  a  Delu- 
sion—  The  Lord  coming  —  Reasoning  in  a  circle  —  Wonderful  Success 
of  the  Opposition  (  ?)  —  Spiritualism  will  not  "down"  —  "Old  SpUt- 
foot"  —  Toe-joint  Theory  —  Hidden  Meaning  in  api^ointing  these  Com- 
mittees—  The  Machinery  Argument  —  Arguments  of  Opposers  suicidal 
to  themselves  —  Human  Testimony  rejected  —  Conditions  required  — 
Conditions  of  Sleep  —  Conversation  with  a  Photographist  —  Conditions 
of  Photography  —  Telegraphy  —  Arguments  against  Spiritualism  would 
overthrow  the  Bible  —  An  Infidel  Deacon  denies  his  Bible  —  A  Giant 
Delusion  —  Spiritualism  Twenty-two  Years  ago  and  now  —  A  Prospec- 
tive View —  Spiritualism  Positive  and  Aggressive  —  Reasons  for  going 
to  Church  —  Churches  not  Proselyting  —  Why  do  Persons  become  Spir- 
itualists—Rev. A.  J.  Frishback'rt  Reply  — Suffering  for  Spiritualism  — 
Ministers'  Wives  in  the  Lunatic  Asylum  for  Spiritualism  —  Author's 
Experience  —  The  Quality  of  Converts  to  Spiritualism  —  Our  Evidence 
not  in  the  Number  or  Intelligence  of  Converts  —  Giant  Minds  yield  — 
Atheism  and  Materialism  give  place  —  Hon.  N.  P.  Talmadge  and  J.  W. 
Edmonds  —  "The  Kings  of  the  Earth" — Opposers  fall  before  the 
Power  —  Gamaliel's  Opinion  —  A  charaiing  Delusion  —  Efibrts  to  con- 
vert a  Spiritualist  —  Death-bed  Scene  —  "  Oh,  happy  Delusion  I  "  —  It  i» 
not  a  Delusion  — Child  Medium. 186 


CONTENTS.  6 

CHAPTER  Vm. 

OBJECTIONS     ANSWERED. 

Objections  usually  the  Result  of  Ignorance  —  A  British  Lord  and  the  Steam- 
boat  — Objections  to  the  Telegraph  ^-Objections  to  AboUtionism  —  God 
legislated  against  Spiritualism  —  Necromancy ;  Definition  of— The  Ob- 
jection proves  Spiritualism  — Hebrews  inclined  to  apply  to  the  Dead 
for  Knowledge  — Law  indorsed  Spiritualism  — This  Law  abolished  — 
Other  Precepts  of  this  Law  not  binding  — Jesus  violated  this  Law  — 
Paul  and  John  violated,  and  hence  deserve  Death  — The  Law  good  in 
its  Place,  and  fo»-  its  Time  — Men  inclined  to  worship  Spirits  which 
communicated  —The  Jewish  Jehovah  not  an  Infinite  God  —  He  incited 
the  Jews  to  Crime  — Jehovah  jealous  of  other  Spirits  — God  goes  to 
Babel  to  find  out  concerning  a  Report  — Moses  a  better  Man  than  his 
God— Heathen  Gods  once  Men  upon  Earth  — Spirits  should  be  Helps, 
not  Masters— Jews  worshiped  Spirits;  Abraham,  Lot,  Joshua,  Peter, 
John  — Law  against  Spiritualism  had  evil  Results  — Materialism  the 
Results  of  that  Law  — Elihu  a  Claii-\'oyant  Medium  — Men  not  Clay  — 
"Old  Paths"  — Contradictory  Objections  — Consistency  a  rare  Jewel 

—  All  Things  were  once  new  —  Protestantism  once  new  — Catholic  Ar- 
gument agahist  Protestantism  — All  Religions  have  run  the  same  Gant- 
let—"  Fanatical  Methodists"- Novelty  not  against  Truth  — Men  in 
this  Worid  are  Icaruiug;  may  not  others  progress  — Spiritualism  not 
new  — Martin  Luther  and  the  Spirits— Wesley  and  the  Spirits  — They 
are  Devils  — An  old  Charge  — John  the  Baptist  and  Jesus  had  a  Devil 

—  Every  Reform  was  instigated  by  the  Devil  —  Devil  left  the  Church  — 
Devil  is  Synonymous  with  Hatred  of  Progress  — The  Telescope,  Fan- 
ning-Mill,  Printing-Press,  and  Vaccination,  aU  of  the  Devil  — Devil  dis- 
covered the  Circulation  of  the  Blood  — Devil  and  Michael  Servetus — 
Martyrdom  of  Servetus  —  The  Devil  and  Vaccmation  —  The  Devil  figur- 
ing as  an  Abolitionist,  Geologist,  &c.  — Has  God  sent  a  Scorpion  for  a 
Fish  —  A^Hiat  a  God  —  The  Existence  of  a  Devil  can  not  be  reconciled 
with  that  of  a  good  God  — The  Devil  always  proves  himself  right- 
Author  of  Progress— Devil  a  Myth— Conclusion    .        .       ,        .       .    214 


THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE    ADAPTATION    OF    SPIRITUALISM    TO   THE    WANTS    OF 

HUMANITY. 

No  Argument  so  good  as  that  of  Adaptation  —  Religions  must  adapt  them- 
selves to  Men  —  Religions  and  Sciences  have  failed  to  demonstrate  an  After- 
Life  — Two  contradictory  Chains  of  Thought  in  the  Bible  — Law  forbidding 
Consultation  with  the  Dead  — Its  Effect  — Bible  Writers  in  Doubt  as  to  a  Fu- 
ture—A Dialogue  —  Spiritualism  convinces  a  Minister  of  his  Immortality  — 
Dying  Minister  in  Despair  — Why  this  Appetite  for  a  Knowledge  of  a  Future 
—  Counterfeit  Spiritualism  an  Evidence  of  a  Genuine  —  Spiritualism  not  a 
Phantasm  — Men  love  Spirit-Communion  — Illustration  — Spirits  retain  their 
Regard  for  Mortals  — Is  it  Imagination  —  Where  and  A\Tiat  is  the  Land  of 
the  Dead  — All  interested  in  the  Question  — Sick  Healed— Endless  Prog 
ress  — Theodore  Parker  — Abraham  Lincoln  — A  Proof  of  the  Truth  of 
Spiritualism  in  its  Beauty  —  Conclusion. 

THERE  is  no  argument  so  strong  in  favor  of  any 
hypothesis  as  that  which  shows  unmistakabl}^  tht 
adaptation  of  the  theory  to  the  work  intended.  A  re- 
ho-ious  theory  proving  itself  adapted  to  meet  all  the  wants 
of  the  human  soul  comes  with  God's  warrant  in  its  hands. 
Havinor  such  credentials  from  the  Almio-hty,  but  little 
else  is  needed  to  prove  it  true.  As  man  is  the  highest 
type  of  the  creation,  yea,  "  the  offspring  of  God  "  (see 
Acts  xvii.  28),  religions  and  theories  must  bend  to 
man  :  he  can  not  bend  to  them.  They  must  come  to 
him  as  he   is,  in  a  state   of  nature,  and  adapt  thera- 

11 


12  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

selves  to  his  wants.  The  first  inquiry  which  suggests 
itself  is,  Wliat  are  tlie  wants  of  the  human  soul  ?  All 
answer,  The  first  great  want  of  the  soul  is  an  evidence 
of  its  own  continued  existence. 

With  all  deference  to  other  systems  of  religion  and 
philosophy'.  Spiritualism  is  the  only  system  which  can 
make  man  know  of  his  own  immortality.  Is  man  im- 
mortal? is  a  question  which  is  now  being  propounded 
with  more  earnestness  than  ever  before.  How  can  the 
question  be  answered  ?  If  Science  be  consulted,  she 
stands  with  drooping  wings,  looking  dov>m  into  the  dax'k 
grave,  and  answers,  "  The  knowledge  is  not  with  me. 
I  am  educated  only  in  the  past ;  I  trace  man  from  the 
primordial  fires,  through  the  granite  rock,  on  through 
the  mineral,  vegetable,  and  animal  kingdoms,  to  the 
grave  :  but  I  can  see  no  farther."  Science  can  not  tell 
the  strength  of  the  disease  now  preying  upon  my  body, 
nor  yet  the  power  of  endurance  my  physical  system 
may  have ;  much  less  can  it  dive  into  the  dark  future, 
and  grapple  from  its  unwritten  pages  evidences  of  man's 
future  condition.  Poor  blind  Science  !  don't  ask  it  to 
solve  questions  so  entirely  out  of  its  reach.  True,  we 
may  reason  from  the  great  law  of  design  manifest  every- 
where, and  from  our  reasonings  draw  the  liope  that  this 
mundane  existence  will  not  wind  up  the  course  of  man ; 
but  at  best  it  is  only  Jiope.  The  soul  demands  evidence 
of  its  immortality.     Where  shall  it  be  found  ? 

If  we  recur  to  the  Bible,  we  find  two  distinct  and 
contradictory  classes  of  ideas  upon  this  subject  running 
through  that  book.  One  chain  of  ideas  comes  from  cer- 
tain phenomena  which  were  witnessed  among  the  peo- 
ple ;  such  as  Samuel  returning  and  holding  a  tete-d-tete 


THE  QUESTION   SETTLED.  13 

with  King  Saul,  Moses  and  Elias  talking  with  Jesus  on 
the  mount,  John's  brother  talking  with  him  on  the 
Island  of  Patmos,  &c.  See  1  Sam.  xxviii.  14-20; 
Matt.  xvii.  1-8;  Rev.  xxii.  8. 

Thouo-h  these  foots  are  said  to  have  occurred,  they 
were  in  the  most  open  violation  of  one  of  the  strictest 
laws  of  the  Jews,  which  reads  as  follows :  — 

"  There  shall  not  be  found  among  you  any  one  that 
maketh  his  son  or  his  daughter  to  pass  through  the  fire, 
or  that  useth  divination,  or  a  witch,  or  a  charmer,  or 
a  consulter  of  familiar  sjyirits,  or  a  wizard,  or  a  necro- 
mancer.'" — Dent,  xviii.  10,  11. 

Here  is  a  law  forbidding  spirit-communion.  It  takes 
more  courage  than  most  people  possess  to  enable  them 
to  violate  such  plain  laws,  with  death  as  their  penalty. 
The  result,  as  might  have  been  expected,  was,  that 
cases  of  spirit-communion  were  rare.  Death  they  had 
before  them  constantly  ;  graves  they  saw  every  day : 
but  those  who  had  passed  on  they  did  not  see,  did  not 
dare  to  see  them.  The  result  was,  many  of  them  con- 
cluded they  had  no  existence.  Jacob,  when  he  sup- 
posed his  son  Joseph  to  be  dead,  said,  "  Joseph  is  not  " 
(Gen.  xlii.  36).  Rachel,  being  forbidden  to  consult  her 
children,  naturally  enough  concluded  they  were  not 
(Jer.  xxxi.  15).  Isaiah  says  of  the  dead,  "  They  are 
extinct;  they  are  quenched  as  tow"  (Is.  xliii.  17). 
The  writers  of  the  Bible  not  only  supposed,  as  a  result 
of  their  being  shut  away  from  communication  with  the 
dead,  that  they  had  no  existence,  but  they  believed 
death  to  be  a  state  of  eternal  nonentity.  It  was  not 
Porphyry,  Celsus,  or  ''  Julian  the  apostate,"  but  Job, 
^ho  said,  "  So  he  that  goeth  down  to  the  grave  shall 


14  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

come  up  no  more"  (Job  vii.  9).  David,  the  "man 
after  God's  own  heart,"  did  not  leave  it  for  Lord  Bo.ling- 
broke  or  Pope  to  compose  the  poem  Avliich  says,  "  Put 
not  your  trust  in  ])rinces,  nor  in  tlie  son  of  man,  in 
whom  there  is  no  help ;  for  his  breath  goeth  forth,  he 
returneth  to  his  earth  :  in  that  very  day  his  thoughts 
perish"  (Ps.  cxlvi.  1-3).  It  was  thirty  centuries  be- 
fore the  birth  of  the  author  of  "  The  Age  of  Reason," 
that  Solomon,  the  wise  Jewish  king,  gave  utterance  to 
the  followincr  sentiment :  — 

"  The  living  know  that  they  shall  die ;  but  the  dead 
know  not  any  thing."  —  Eccl.  ix.  5. 

Not  satisfied  with  uttering  the  atheistic  sentiment  of 
the  unconsciousness  of  the  dead,  he  proceeds  to  lock 
the  doors  of  a  future  against  them.     Hear  him  :  — 

"  Neither  have  they  any  more  a  reward  ;  for  the  memory 
of  them  is  forgotten.  Also  their  love  and  their  hatred 
is  now  perished  ;  7ieither  have  they  any  more  a  portion 
forever  in  any  thing  that  is  done  under  the  sun.'''  — 
Eccl.  ix.  5,  6. 

All  the  above-mentioned  passages  express  the  most 
absolute  infidelity  concerning  the  future  of  man.  These 
opinions  can  but  be  regarded  as  the  legitimate  result  of 
the  embargo  put  upon  appealing  to  the  dead  for  knowl- 
edire.  Remove  that  restriction,  let  the  Jew"  have  the 
privilege  which  the  heathen  enjoyed,  of  consulting 
the  dead,  and  how  long  could  his  infidelity  have  re- 
mained ?     Not  long  enough  for  Job  to  have  said,  — 

''  The  grave  is  my  house  :  I  have  made  my  bed  in 
darkness.  I  have  said  to  corruption.  Thou  art  my 
father  ;  to  tlie  worm.  Thou  art  my  mother  and  my 
sister.     And  where  is  now  my  hope  ?    iVs  for  my  hope, 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  15 

wlio  shall  see  it  ?  They  shall  go  clown  to  the  bars  of 
the  pit  when  our  rest  together  is  in  the  dust."  — ■ 
Job  xvii.  1-3-16. 

If  the  Bible  writers  themselves,  for  whom  a  plenary 
inspiration  is  claimed,  who,  it  is  supposed,  enjoyed  all 
the  evidences  of  immortality,  were  so  unbelieving  con- 
cerning the  future,  is  it  any  Avonder  that  the  world  to- 
day has  so  nearly  run  into  atheism  on  that  subject  ?  .If 
the  position  assumed  be  correct,  that  the  elements  of 
the  infidelity  of  the  Jews  had  an  origin  in  their  non- 
intercourse  with  the  dead ;  that,  in  proportion  as  that 
people  transcended  their  legal  rights,  and  held  occasional 
converse  with  visitants  from  the  other  side,  their  unbe- 
Hef  was  supplanted  by  knowledge,  —  then  we  may  safely 
affirm,  that,  without  Spiritualism,  there  is  no  positive 
evidence  of  a  future  life. 

When  travelino;  on  a  certain  occasion  throuo;h  Can- 
ada,  the  writer  was  introduced  to  a  Baptist  minister. 
As  the  prefix  "Reverend"  was  used  in  his  introduction, 
the  gentleman  of  course  supposed  him  to  be  an  evangel- 
ical minister.  Beino;  curious  to  know  whether  this 
minister  could  find  any  evidence  of  another  world, 
independent  of  Spiritualism,  he  commenced  a  conver- 
sation which  resulted  in  the  followino;  dialoo;ue  :  — 

Hull.  —  How  is  the  cause  of  relio-ion  in  Canada  ? 

Minister.  —  All  is  well.  We  had  glorious  revi- 
vals through  these  parts  last  winter.  Of  course,  matters 
have  cooled  down  somewhat ;  yet,  with  many,  the  work 
seems  to  be  deep  and  lasting.  How,  may  I  ask,  is  the 
xrood  cause  in  Michiii'an  ? 

H.  —  We  are  havino;  trouble  there.  There  are  a 
great  many  thinkers  in  that  State,  and  among  them  a 


16  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

large  proportion  of  materialists  wlio  deny  immortality ; 
and  we  find  them  hard  to  meet. 

M.  —  Ah  !  I  see  no  trouble  in  meeting  them,  espe- 
cially if  they  believe  the  Bible.  Why  don't  you  tell 
them  that  Samuel  returned  to  talk  with  Saul  ?  This 
he  never  could  have  done  had  not  he  been  immortal. 

H.  —  True  enough.  That  could  be  used,  for  aught  I 
know,  in  Canada ;  but  it  does  not  do  to  use  it  in  Michi- 
gan. There  are  in  that  State  about  twenty-five  thou- 
sand Spiritualists ;  and,  were  you  to  quote  that  text, 
every  one  of  them  would  claim  you  as  being  on  their 
side  of  the  question  ;  for,  if  the  text  proves  any  thing, 
it  proves  Samuel  was  immortal  by  the  fact  of  his  having 
returned  and  communicated.  AVe  do  not  wish,  when 
battling  with  atheists  and  materialists,  to  put  a  club 
into  the  hands  of  the  Spiritualists  with  which  to  beat 
our  brains  out  when  we  undertake  to  deny  Spiritualism. 

M.  —  True  ;  but  could  you  not  tell  them  of  the 
appearance  of  Moses  and  Elias  on  the  Mount  of  Trans- 
fiiXuration  ? 

H.  —  Yes ;  but  that,  too,  if  it  proves  any  thing, 
proves   the   continued    life    of    the    parties    by   their 


returnmg. 


M.  —  Yes,  yes ;  but  should  we  reject  a  truth 
because  the  Spiritualists  believe  it  ? 

H.  —  Certainly  not.  But  is  there  no  way  to  prove 
immortality,  without  resorting  to  texts,  wdiich,  if  they 
prove  any  thing,  prove  Spiritualism? 

M.  —  The  fact  is,  my  belief  in  immortality  d'jes 
not  hang  upon  biblical  expressions.  /  know  mar^  is 
immortal. 

H.  —  You  are  the  man  I  want  to  see.  Tell  me 
how  you  know  it. 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  17 

M.  —  Last  Saturday  I  was  called  tc  the  bedside  of 
a  dying  sister :  while  we  were  watching  for  the  last 
breath,  she  suddenly  brightened  up,  and  said,  "  See 
there  !  do  you  see?  "  —  "  See  what ?  "  I  said.  "  There 
is  my  sister,  and  one  who  I  guess  is  Jesus :  they  have 
come  for  me."  Saying  this,  she  expired.  Now  I  can 
not  think  this  all  deception.  God  is  too  good  to  let  one 
who  had  trusted  him  all  the  days  of  her  life  die  so 
deceived. 

H.  —  So  I  think ;  but  that  is  Spiritualism.  And 
now  let  me  confess  that  I  am  a  Spiritualist.  I  have 
talked  thus  with  you  to  see  if  you  had  any  evidence  of 
immortality  which  would  not  prove  Spiritualism. 

M.  —  I  do  not  see  that  we  are  bound  to  reject  a 
truth  because  Spiritualists  believe  it. 

This  last  sentence,  though  true,  does  not  present  the 
matter  fairly.  Every  system  of  religion  in  the  land 
lives  and  is  sustained  by  its  spiritual  element.  The 
question  was  not,  ''  Shall  I  reject  the  evidence  of  im- 
mortality presented  to  my  dying  sister  ?  "  but,  "Is  there 
any  evidence,  except  that  which  comes  in  such  a  way, 
that,  if  it  proves  any  thing,  it  proves  Spiritualism?  " 

The  world  demands  to-day,  above  all  things,  the 
evidence  of  immortality.  All  demand  it.  As  the 
mother  takes  the  last  look  at  the  cold,  dead  body  of 
her  son,  and  imprints  a  kiss  on  his  colorless  cheek,  she 
involuntarily  exclaims,  '"' Shall  I  see  my  child  again? ''^ 
Then  let  the  minister  point  her  to  some  biblical  decla- 
ration, and  her  very  soul  will  revolt  at  it ;  and  she  will 
inwardly,  if  not  outwardly,  exclaim,  "  Such  authorita- 
tive ii^se  dixits  may  do  under  ordinary  circumstances  ; 
but  they  fail  to  reach  a  mother's  heart  in  an  extremity 

2 


18  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

like  tills."  What  will  convince  that  mother  ?  "  Is 
there  no  balm  in  Gilead?  is  there  no  physician 
there  ?  "  She  naturally  feels,  "  If  my  son  lives,  why 
docs  he  not  take  this  burden  from  my  heart  ?  Has  he 
lost  all  interest  in  me  ?  Oh  for  one  breeze  from  the 
summer-land  (if  there  be  such  a  country),  just  one 
rap,  one  test,  one  evidence,  that  my  son  still  lives  and 
thinks !  " 

Now  the  Spiritualist  believes  that  that  boy  can  come 
back  and  communicate  with  his  mother ;  tliat  he  can 
say,  "  Mother,  I  am  alive  !  "  Reader,  don't  you  wish 
it  was  true  ?  Wouldn't  you  make  it  true  if  you  had 
the  making  of  the  truth  ?  If  these  questions  were 
asked  of  the  great  body  of  humanity,  would  one  single 
voice  be  found  to  say,  "  No  "  ? 

Once  upon  a  time,  we  were  invited  to  the  bedside  of 
a  dying  minister,  whom  we  had  long  known  to  be  a 
good  man  and  a  consistent  Christian,  if  there  ever  was 
one  :  to  say  the  least,  his  daily  life  was  a  better  epistle 
than  Paul  ever  wrote.  The  minister  was  taken  suddenly 
with  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs,  and  drew  rapidly  near 
the  gates  of  physical  dissolution.  Looking  up  to  us, 
he  faltered  out,  "  Brother  Hull,  do  ^ou  believe  in  the 
resurrection  of  the  deadf^^ 

''  Why,"  said  we,  "  youliave  heard  us  preach  on  that 
question  many  times :  did  you  think  we  wou'd  preach 
what  we  did  not  believe?"  He  responded,  *•  I  was 
taught  to  believe  it ;  but  I  know  now,  for  tlie  11/ st  time, 
that  I  never  did.  I  received  it  from  my  teachers  and  my 
Bible  without  investigating.  I  am  now  dying ;  and  I 
frankly  acknowledge  that  I  do  not  believe  thij  body 
can  again  be  gathered.     I  can  not  see  that  there  is  a 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  19 

future  ^for  man."  After  reasoning  witli  the  man 
nearly  an  hour,  we  ventured  to  ask,  "  Are  you  now 
satisfied  ?  "  He  responded,  "  I  am  dying  now  :  I  can 
not  talk.  My  request  is  for  you  to  preach  my  funeral- 
discourse  ;  and  don't  let  one  who  hears  it,  die,  as  I  am 
dying  now,  without  any  hope  of  a  beyond." 

Under  the  influence  of  this  scene,  we  could  but 
exclaim,  "  If  there  is  not  another  world,  what  a  pity 
there  is  not !  and,  if  there  zs,  what  a  pity  that  God 
(hd  not  give  us  a  better  knowledge  of  it!"  Without 
Spiritualism  there  is  no  evidence  of  another  world. 

Now  we  would  inquire,  Is  this  appetite  for  a  hcijond 
the  only  one  God  has  left  ungratified  ?  or,  having 
granted  us  this  boon,  has  he  left  us  without  any  possi- 
bility of  knowing  that  there  is  life  when  the  earthly 
life  has  ceased,  until  by  experience  we  know  of  the 
better  country  ?  It  can  not  be  that  God,  who  has  done 
all  in  his  power  for  man,  has  left  us  thus  to  grope  in 
darkness.  No :  when  every  other  source  of  evidence 
has  been  set  aside  as  unsatisfactory,  Spiritualism  comes 
to  our  relief ;  thus  proving  itself,  in  this ,  respect  at 
least,  adapted  to  the  needs  of  humanity. 

Evidences  of  another  life,  given  through  Spiritualism, 
are  many  of  them  of  such  a  character,  that  those  who 
have  witnessed  them  find  no  room  for  doubts.  That 
there  are  cases  of  deception,  that  there  are  lying 
mountebanks  who  wear  the  fair  garments  of  Spiritual- 
ism as  a  cloak  for  their  iniquity,  does  not  affect  the 
genuine  manifestations  more  than  a  crenuine  bank-bill 
would  be  affected  by  counterfeits  issued  on  its  credit. 
Nay,  do  not  counterfeits  prove  the  existence  of  a  true 
coin,    which    is  worthy  of  counterfeiting?      Men   do 


20  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

not  connterfeit  copper  coin :  it  is  too  cheap.  llovr 
strangely  beside  themselves  men  get  when  they  con- 
clude there  is  no  genuine  Spiritualism  because  they  have 
found  a  counterfeit !  Profound  logic  that !  When 
such  men  as  Robert  Owen,  Robert  Hare,  Robert  Dale 
Owen,  and  hundreds  of  others  whom  we  might  mention, 
who  have  all  their  lives,  up  to  the  time  of  their  com- 
munion with  the  departed,  doubted  whether  there  was 
another  life,  are,  through  Spiritualism,  so  perfectly  con- 
vinced of  it,  that  no  room  is  left  for  a  doubt,  and  they 
are  ever  after  not  only  believers,  but  open  advocates 
of  immortality,  we  are  led  to  ask.  Is  any  other  argu- 
ment needed  to  show  that  Spiritualism  is  perfectly 
adapted  to  meet  that  earnest  longing  of  the  human 
heart  for  a  knowledge  of  endless  life  ? 

Now,  w^e  ask.  Is  not  immortahty  a  natural  want  ? 
and,  if  man -is  immortal,  is  not  the  evidence  of  the 
fact  a  want  natural  to  him?  Spiritualism  is  found 
equal  to  the  task  of  supplying  that  need.  Has  it  not 
in  this  proved  itself  adapted  to  the  wants  of  man  ? 
No  other  religion  has  done  so  much. 

Is  it  objected  that  the  evidence  is  not  real  ?  that  only 
the  gullible  are  deceived  by  it?  Admit  it,  and  what 
is  the  result?  Man  is  a  poor  worm,  either  w^ithout  im- 
mortality, or,  if  immortal,  without  any  evidence  of  the 
fact.  All  hope  pertaining  to  the  future  is  idle.  All 
our  prospects  are  blasted.  Religion  is  a  solemn  farce, 
and  man  of  all  creatures  the  most  miserable,  placed 
on  the  earth,  given  a  taste  of  life,  made  to  enjoy  im- 
mortality, and  yet  his  highest  joys  and  brightest 
anticipations  all  imagination.  And  is  it  so  ?  Has  not 
the  Giver  of  all  good  been  able  to  make  the  reality  as 


THE  QXTESTION   SETTLED.  21 

clovious  as  man,  without  any  image  before  him,  could 
^aint  the  ideal  ?  Tell  us  that  day  does  not  follow 
nicvht,  that  water  does  not  quench  thirst,  that  it  is  only 
fanatics  who  imagine  that  the  sun  shines,  that  this  life 
is  a  miserable  phantasm;  but  do  not  tell  us  that  the 
seeds  of  happiness  sown  in  the  human  soul  by  tins 
beautiful  belief  will  never  grow. 

Even  admitting  that   man   could   know  of    another 
world   without  Spiritualism,  yet  who  would   not   hold 
sweet  communion  with  those  on  the  other  side  ?     We 
are  all  social  beings.     We  love  social  converse  ;  nor  is 
that  love  confined  to  the  living.     The   true  wife   does 
not  cease  to  love  her  husband  as  soon  as  he  passes  from 
hersiaht:  that  husband,  whose  voice  was  once  sweet 
to  her,  and  whose  friendly  counsel   was  her  greatest 
solace,  still  lives.     Is  it  not  natural  that  the  wife  should 
long   for   communion   with   the    one    whose    hte    was 
almost  a  part  of  her  being  ? 

To  illustrate  :    a  mbther  had  two   sons,  James  and 
John,   whom   she   loved   as   her  ou-n   life  ;  but  when 
traitors  fired  into  our  flag,  and  trampled  it  under  foot, 
she  -ave  them  up  to  defend   their   country.     In    the 
course  of  the  battle,  James  was  killed  ;  but  John,  after 
passing  through  severe  engagements,  returns  home  a 
triumphant  conqueror.     How  the  loving  mother  hails 
her  son'      With  what  eagerness  does  she   grasp    Ins 
hardened  hand !     With  what  outgushhig  of  soul  does 
she  imprint  her  kisses  upon  his  sun-browned  cheek  ! 
How   proudly   she   watches   his    every   move!     With 
what  heartfelt  joy  does  she  welcome  him  to  the   place 
at  the  table  made  vacant  by  his  absence !     And  as  he 
relates  his  experfences  on   the   battle-fields,  in  forced 


22  TFTE    QUESTION   SETTLED 

marches,  in  prisoii-j)cns,  how  licr  very  soul  drinks  his 
every  word !  Now,  who  can  think  that  she  forgets 
James,  wlio,  fired  with  the  same  patriotism, went,  but 
never  returned?  How  would  her  soul  rejoice,  could 
James  come  back  from  the  other  side,  and  fill  Jiis 
vacant  chair,  and  relate  the  experiences  lie  has  had 
since  his  birth  into  the  better  world  !  Is  there  one  on 
earth  who  has  a  friend  in  spirit-life,  but  that  would 
like  to  see  and  converse  with  that  friend?  The  spirit- 
ual philosophy  says,  Such  communion  awaits  you.  Who 
does  not  wish  it  correct  on  that  point  ?  Then  it  is 
adapted  to  meet  the  wants  of  man. 

Not  only  is  spirit-communion  desirable  for  lonely  ones 
yet  clothed  in  mortality,  but  departed  spirits  themselves 
must  long  for  the  privilege  of  loving  and  blessing  dear 
ones  whom  they  have  left  behind. 

Were  the  angel  of  death  to  summon  us  this  moment 
to  the  better  land,  we  should  leave  a  wife  and  four 
daughters,  whom  we  love  as  we  love  our  own  soul. 
They  may  not  be  very  mucli  in  the  world;  but  they  are 
all  the  world  to  us.  We  remember  that  this  world  is 
sometimes  cold  and  heartless,  especially  toward  the 
feminine  half  of  humanity.  Woman  is  not  legally, 
socially,  and  politically  man's  equal ;  often  compelled 
to  work  for  less  than  half  w^ages,  and  sometimes  driven 
to  the  alternative  of  stealing  or  starving,  or,  even  worse 
than  either,  compelled  to  sell  her  virtue  for  the  bread 
and  butter  the  world  owes  her.  Could  we  think  of 
going  to  heaven  and  singing  praises,  and  our  wife  and 
daughters  driven  to  such  lives  as  these,  —  we  not  even 
having  the  privilege  of  looking  over  its  battlements, 
and  asking,  How  fares  thy  soul  ?     Nay ;  rather  put  us 


THE  QITWRTrON   SETTLED.  23 

into  an  orthodox  hell,  with  the  privilege  of  an  occa- 
sional respite  to  bless  those  left  behind,  than  thus  to  shut 
us  away  from  those  who  need  a  husband's  love  and  a 
father's  counsel.  If  this  communion  be  not  true,  we 
chide  with  Almighty  God.  Has  he  made  that  false 
which  man  needs,  and  that  true  which  is  so  illy  adapted 
to  meet  his  wants?  Has  the  Devil  beaten  God  so 
badly,  and  got  the  best  and  prettiest  theory  after  all  ? 
Believe  it  wdio  can :  we  can  not.  Nay !  the  father, 
mother,  brother,  or  sister  who  crossed  the  stream  of 
death  before  us,  can  not  lose  their  interest  in  those  left 
behind. 

Another  reason  why  the  soul  longs  for  Spiritualism  is, 
that  each  and  every  one  is  personally  interested  in 
knowing  what  there  is  in  reserve  for  him.  The 
realities  of  another  world,  if  there  be  another,  we 
must  soon  taste.  How  shall  we  find  thino;s  over  there  ? 
is  a  query  which  can  not  be  expelled  from  any  mind. 
How  natural  the  query  !  Were  we  emigrating  to  some 
distant  country,  how  anxiously  w^ould  we  try  to  learn 
something  of  its  location,  climate,  soil,  timber,  inhabit- 
ants, &c.  !  and  how  should  we  find  out  ?  In  no  other 
way  than  by  consulting  those  w-ho  have  been  there. 
The  truth  is,  we  are  all  emigrants  —  to  wdiat  place  ? 
If  to  a  haven  "  from  whose  bourn  no  traveler  returns,'' 
how  dark  the  prospect  ahead  !  No  wonder  that  Job 
said,  "  A  land  of  darkness  as  darkness  itself."  Certain 
it  is  we  can  learn  nothing  of  that  world,  only  as  we 
learn  it  from  those  wdio  have  been  there.  Then  how 
beautiful  the  thought,  that  those  on  the  other  shore  can 
draw  the  curtain  aside,  as  did  Samuel  of  old,  and  give 
us  news  concernins;  their  whereabouts  and  condition ! 


24  THE   QUESTION'.  SETTLED. 

In  hours  of  weary  sadness,  when  cares  are  pressing 
heavily  upon  us,  and  we  weary  even  of  life  itself,  how 
sweet  to  have  such  spirits  as  Miss  A.  W.  Sprague  come 
through  such  mediums  as  Miss  Lizzie  Doten ;  and  after 
announcing  that  — 

"  I  come,  I  come,  from  my  spirit-home, 
Like  a  bird  in  the  early  spring, 
To  the  loved  ones  here,  whom  my  heart  holds  dear, 
A  message  of  love  to  bring," 

and  telhng  us  that  — 

"  The  heavens  are  wide,  but  they  can  not  divide 
The  spirits  whom  love  makes  free  ! 
The  green  old  earth,  and  the  land  of  my  birth, 
With  its  homes,  are  still  dear  to  me," 

to  go  on  and  give  such  glowing  descriptions  of  the 
heavenly  country,  that,  while  reading,  we  sometimes 
quite  forget  that  we  belong  to  earth ! 

"  We'll  be  there,  we'll  be  there,  in  a  little  while, 
We'll  join  the  pure  and  the  blest, 
We'll  have  the  palm,  the  robe,  the  crown, 
And  for  ever  be  at  rest." 

Oh,  glorious  thought !  How  our  soul  fills  with 
rapture  as  we  contemplate  the  summer-land  as  de- 
scribed by  those  who  have  tasted  its  fruit,  breathed  its 
air,  traversed  its  fields,  and  bathed  in  its  exhilarating 
waters  ! 

Spiritualism  professes  to  heal  the  sick.  There  are 
persons  (mediums)  who  profess,  under  favorable  con- 


THE  QUESTION  SETTLE!).  25 

ditions,  to  come  so  en  raj)2^ort  with  the  spirit-world  as 
to  enter  into  certain  magnetic  relations  with  it,  by 
which,  by  a  touch,  they  can  heal  disease.  Thus  the 
blind  have  been  made  to  see,  the  deaf  to  hear,  and 
even  the  insane  have,  by  this  power,  been  restored  to 
sanity.  Call  this  all  imagination  !  How  glorious  such 
an  imagination  !  Whv  can  it  not  be  true  ?  Would 
not  a  religion  which  would  do  what  some  imagine 
Spiritualism  is  doing,  just  meet  the  wants  of  the  world  ? 
What  a  pity  that  such  a  religion  should  lack  only  the 
element  of  truth  ! 

One  more  point :  the  idea  of  endless  progression,  as 
taught  in  Spiritualism,  is  certainly  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  thoughts  that  ever  entered  the  human  brain. 
If  that  be  true,  not  only  are  such  men  as  Newton, 
Locke,  Bacon,  Washington,  JeflPerson,  Clay,  Webster, 
Douglas,  and  Lincoln  alive  to-day ;  but  they  live  for  a 
purpose.  They  are  interested  in  matters  of  theology 
and  jurisprudence  as  much  to-day  as  when  they  wore 
their  own  bodies.  Let  two  cases  illustrate  our  ideas  ; 
and  who  shall  they  be  ?  One  we  will  select  from  the 
theological,  and  one  from  the  political  world.  From 
the  rehVious  world,  we  could  not  make  a  better  selection 
than  Theodore  Parker.  From  the  political  world, 
Abraham  Lincoln  will  be  the  man  of  our  choice. 

It  is  unnecessary  for  us  to  say  a  word  in  Mr. 
Parker's  praise.  Most  of  our  readers  know  with  what 
steady  purpose  his  noble  heart  was  devoted  to  every 
reform.  Sinners  feared  him  more  than  all  the  other 
ministers  of  New  England  put  together.  He  always 
asked,  not.  What  will  bring  the  praise,  honor,  or  wealth 
of  the  world  ?   but,  What  is  right  ?     In  the  winter  of 


26  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

1857-'58,  the  people  of  New  England  were  insane  with 
religious  excitement,  and  yet,  in  their  revival  meetings, 
would  publicly  rebuke  one  who  dared  to  remember  the 
poor  slave  in  his  chains.  Mr.  Parker  occupied  Music 
Hall  in  Boston,  and,  from  Sunday  to  Sunday,  preached 
to  the  people  of  "  The  Revival  of  Religion  which  we 
need^^  —  a  revival  which  breaks  every  yoke,  and  tears 
away  every  burden  ;  which  pays  the  milliner  and  dress- 
maker in  proportion  as  it  does  the  lawyer,  doctor,  or 
mim'ster  ;  which  would  occasionally  let  a  poor  servant- 
girl  make  a  summer  tour  to  Europe,  and  let  her  pay  go 
on  the  same  as  thouo;h  she  were  a  minister  :  in  fact,  a 
revival  which  sanctifies  the  kitchen  as  well  as  the  ijulpit. 
Such  preaching  was  too  much  for  New-England 
Puritanism;  and  the  result  was,  the  "baptized"  and 
"  sanctified  "  infidels  to  the  purer  religion  held  prayer- 
meetings  to  pray  him  out  of  the  world.  And  when  the 
news  came  from  the  "  sunny  South  "  that  Theodore 
Parker  was  dead,  what  rejoicing  and  thanksgiving ! 
"  One  infidel  out  of  the  world  !  "  "  We'll  hear  no 
more  of  Theodore  Parker.  He  is  dead  and  gone !  " 
How  mistaken ! 

Theodore  Parker  is  not  dead.  He  is  here  now.  His 
voice  rings  as  melodiously,  truthfully,  and  harmoniously 
in  behalf  of  every  reform  as  when  he  spoke  through  his 
own  organism.  The  cause  of  humanity,  which  is  the 
cause  of  God,  lies  as  near  his  heart  as  ever.  Still  he 
follows  the  waymarks  of  those  ahead  of  him,  and  beck- 
ons those  behind  to  follow  on.  He,  with  all  of  us,  can 
spend  an  eternity  in  exploring  the  vast  oceans  of  knowl- 
edge. As  here,  he  lives  to  learn ;  and  after  the  longest 
imaginable   period,  after   he   has   traversed  field  after 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  27 

field  that  he  does  not  now  know  exists,  he  will  see  so 
much  more  aliead  of  him  than  there  is  in  the  past, 
that  he  can  but  use  the  sentiment  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton  : 
"  I  seem  to  myself  like  a  little  child,  picking  up  pebbles 
on  the  shore,  while  the  whole  ocean  lies  unexplored 
before  me." 

Now,  as  to  the  case  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  la- 
mented martyr,  —  where  is  he?  He,  too,  gave  his  life 
for  the  cause  of  humanity,  —  gave  liberty  to  more  slaves 
than  any  other  one  man  in  the  world.  Again  we  ask. 
Where  is  "  Honest  Abe"?  This  noble  patriot  happened 
not  to  be  fortunate  enouMi  to  beloncr  to  a  church.  He 
died  out  of  Christ.  The  church  called  him  an  infidel. 
He  died  in  a  theater,  with  nothing  to  recommend  him 
but  his  intelligence,  his  patriotism,  and  his  unswerving 
honest  fidelity.  Again  we  ask.  Where  is  he  ?  Church 
systems  can  not  save  him.  Do  we  press  the  question 
too  close  ?  We  will  change  it,  and  ask,  Where  is 
"  Stonewall  Jackson  "  the  traitor,  the  baptized  evangeli- 
cal minister  !  —  one  who  never  went  into  the  battle- 
field to  spill  the  pure,  innocent  blood  of  the  North 
without  first  getting  down  upon  his  knees,  and  asking 
God  to  help  him  with  blood  to  tighten  the  chains  of 
slavery  on  four  millions  of  innocent  human  beings  ?  He 
was  a  Christian  after  the  "  straitest  sect."  Of  course,  he 
is  in  heaven,  sinorino;  sono-s,  and  feastincr  his  riohteous 
eyes  upon  the  sight  of  Abraham  Lincoln  in  hell. 
Reader,  do  you  think  the  groans  and  shrieks  of  Mr. 
Lincoln  in  the  "  fiery  pit "  are  music  in  the  pious  ears 
of  Stonewall  Jackson  ? 

Do  you  say  you  do  not  believe  that  Mr.  Lincoln  is  in 
hell  ?     Then  where  is  he  ?     If  he  is  in  heaven,  away 


28  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

goes  the  orthodox  scheme  of  salvation.  Men  are  out- 
urowinor  and  eettino:  better  than  their  rehmons,  and  aie 
not  wiUing  to  let  good  men  out  of  the  church  go  where 
their  systems  assign  them.  Look  from  another  stand- 
point. Is  Mr.  Lincoln  in  heaven  ?  What  is  he  doing 
there  ?     Sitting  down  and  singing  songs, 

"  Where  congregations  ne'er  break  up, 
And  sabbaths  never  end  "  ? 

No.  Tell  us  that  Mr.  Lincoln  is  telling  stories,  and 
we  may  incline  to  believe  it ;  but  song-singing  or  flat- 
tering the  approbativeness  of  Jehovah  is  not  his  business. 
Then  what  is  he  doing  ?     Let  Spiritualism  answer. 

He  bade  farewell  to  earthly  friends  to  join  the  host 
of  immortal  statesmen,  to  assist  on  the  other  side  in 
carrying  out  the  work  so  nobly  commenced  in  this  life. 
At  present  writing,  we  seem  to  be  carried  back  to  his 
birth  into  spirit-life,  and  see  him  clasped  in  the  arms  of 
such  men  as  Georo;e  Washinc^ton.  Next  he  is  welcomed 
to  the  land  where  all  anxiety  is  gone,  by  such  patriots 
as  Adams,  Monroe,  Hancock,  Jefferson,  Clay,  Webster, 
and  Douglas  ;  all  bidding  him  join  the  host  of  immortal 
statesmen,  and  work  in  their  congress,  where  his  labors 
will  be  crowned  with  tenfold  the  success  whicli  attended 
his  efforts  here.  Is  that  all  ?  No.  Old  John  Brown, 
who  went  before  Lincoln,  as  Jolui  the  Baptist  went  be- 
fore Jesus,  whose  soul  had  been  marching  on  for  six 
years,  next  extends  liis  hand,  and  welcomes  Lincoln  as 
slavery's  kist  martyr.  Look  again,  and  see  the  tens  of 
thousands  of  "brave  boys,"  whose  blood  has  stained 
and  fattened  the  fair  fields  of  the  South,  give  him  the 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  29 

ri2;lit  hand  of  fellowship,  and  welcome  him  to  their  celes- 
tial army.  But  a  moi'c  affecting  sight  yet  awaits  us. 
The  poor  slave,  whose  bitter  experience  tells  more  effect- 
ually than  all  things  else  the  horrors  and  degradation 
of  slavery,  approaches  the  emancipator,  the  last  to 
drink  the  bitter  cup  of  martyrdom  in  consequence  of 
the  institution ;  and,  as  he  throws  his  black  arms  around 
his  neck,  we  seem  to  hear  him  cry  out,  "  Bress  de 
Lordl'"  whereupon  myriads  freed  by  his  Emancipation 
Proclamation  join  in  bidding  him  welcome  to  that  land 
where  the  servant  is  free  from  his  master. 

Such,  dear  reader,  is  Spiritualism.  Now,  we  ask, 
can  a  theory  be  so  beautiful,  so  well  adapted  to  man, 
and  not  be  true  ?  Has  the  God  of  truth  been  so  badly 
beaten,  that  man's  imagination  has  painted  visions  which 
so  far  excel  the  reality  ?  Don't  tell  it !  An  omnipotent 
God  who  does  all  he  can  for  man  can  make  the  reality 
more  than  man,  in  the  highest  flight  of  his  imaginings, 
can  paint  the  future.  Have  no  fear  of  overdrawing 
in  painting  the  beauty  and  reality  of  the  '^better  coun- 
try." It  can  not  be  done.  There  is  another  world,  — 
one  of  which  the  present  is  only  a  reflection.  There 
joy  is  great  and  lasting. 

"  Its  glorious  light  is  the  smile  of  God ; 

Its  brooding  atmosphere  holy  peace ; 
The  breath  of  its  life  is  the  spirit  of  love ; 

And  earth's  warring  passions  and  longings  cease. 
Touch  us,  O  death,  'with  thy  mystic  wand, 
And  bring  us  into  the  summer-land." 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE   MORAL  TENDENCY    OF   SPIRITUALISM. 

A  Natural  Query  —  Jesus  regarded  as  a  Blaspbemer  and  a  Devil  —  Every  new 
System  passes  an  Era  of  Calumny  —  Persecution  purifies  —  What  Good  has 
Spiritualism  done  —  Oijponeuts  unfair  —  Immorality  in  the  Churches  — 
Religious  Systems  not  responsible  for  Errors  of  tlieir  Adherents  —  None 
perfect — All  are  God-makers  —  Men  worship  their  own  Opinions  —  Short- 
comings of  Bible  Saints  —  Jewish  Church  —  Testimony  of  Jei'emiah  —  Of 
Jesus — Of  Paul  —  Drunkenness  and  "  Free-lovism  "  in  the  Early  Church  — 
Errors  of  Noah  —  Abraham  —  Isaac  —  Jacob  —  The  twelve  Patriarchs  — 
Moses  —  Joshua  —  Samuel  —  David  —  Solomon  —  Jesus  —  Peter''—  Paul  — 
Spiritualism  a  Reform  School  —  Welcomes  Sinners  —  Churches  disfellow- 
ship  Sinners  —  Illustrative  Case  —  "Come  and  go  with  us"  —  Phenomenal 
Spiritualism — It  appeals  to  our  deep(«6t  social  Feelings  —  The  Theory  of 
Spiritualism  the  best  moral  Governor  —  Its  Philosophy  —  A  Contrast  — 
Orthodoxy  and  Heathenism  —  Eternal  Punishment  for  Sin  —  Familiar  Story 
—  Is  it  Just —  Living  and  Dying  in  Heaven  —  No  Barriers  to  Sin  —  No  moral 
Change  at  Death  —  Illustration  —  We  are  Authors  of  our  Destinies  —  Con- 
clusion. 

"TXT^HEN  a  new  theological  or  philosophical  aspirant 
V  V  to  public  favor  forces  itself  upon  the  people,  the 
query  very  naturally  arises,  What  is  its  moral  cliarac- 
ter?  This  is  as  it  should  be.  A  theory  which  is  mor- 
ally evil  can  not  be  theologically  or  philosopliically  good. 
Still,  may  we  not,  in  challenging  the  virtues  of  new  sys- 
tems, often  look  at  them  through  glasses  colored  by  old, 
dilapidated  theories,  and  hence  see  vice  where  only  vir- 
tue exists  ?  It  was  so  anciently.  When  Jesus  presented 
his  claims,  tlie  response  was,  "  This  man  is  not  of  God, 
because  he  keepeth  not  the  sabbath-day  "  (John  ix.  16). 

30 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  31 

Thus,  judging  by  the  old  Jewish  standard,  the  Naza- 
rene  was  deserving  of  nothing  better  tlian  death.  Yet 
his  system  has  hved  long  enough  to  gain  a  reputation  ; 
he  has  come  to  be  considered  more  pure  than  his  accus- 
ers, who  were  in  such  great  fear,  lest  he,  by  his  exam- 
ple or  precepts,  should  corrupt  the  morals  of  society. 
He  who  was  once  regarded  as  a  devil  (Matt.  xii.  24) 
is  now  worshiped  as  a  God  ;  thus, 

"  The  demons  of  our  sires 
Become  the  saiuts  that  we  adore." 

No  churchman  found  it  any  trouble  in  the  days  of 
Jesus  and  Paul  to  prove  them  guilty  of  blasphemy. 
See  John  ix.  33  ;  Matt.  xxvi.  Qo  ;  Acts  xiii.  44-50. 
So,  now,  churchmen  may  see  huge  "  camels  "  of  immo- 
rality in  the  Spiritualism  of  to-day,  when  only  "  gnats  " 
exist.  While  it  is  but  just  to  investigate  the  morals  of 
any  new  system  of  religion,  the  insinuations  which  pop- 
ular opinion  has  thrown  out  after  every  system  while  in 
its  infancy  are  unjust.  Yet  the  systems  thus  misrepre- 
sented wall  not  by  that  means  sustain  a  permanent  in- 
jury. Some  will,  for  the  time  being,  be  deterred  from 
investigating;  but  that  will  only  be  transitory.  The 
time  will  come  when  the  falsehoods  of  opposers  "svill  ap- 
pear ;  then  men  will  flock  to  the  standard  of  the  slan- 
dered theory  with  more  than  double  the  zeal  that 
otherwise  would  have  characterized  them  in  its  support. 

Spiritualism,  like  all  other  new  truths,  has  been  so 
unfortunate,  or  fortunate,  rather,  as  to  be  compelled  to 
pass  through  the  ordeal  of  calumny  and  slander.  Like 
gold,  purified  in  the  fire,  it  wi'i  emerge  from  out  the 


32  THE    QUESTION   SETTLED 

grasp  of  its  persecutors  and  slanderers,  purified,  "  made 
white,  and  tried." 

Let  an  advocate  of  tlie  spiritual  philosophy  go  to  a 
place  where  the  people  know  nothing  of  its  teachings, 
and  how  soon  his  preacliing  is  met  with  the  question, 
What  good  has  Spiritualism  done  in  the  ^^  orld  ?  Some 
even  lack  the  modesty  to  present  their  objection  in  the 
form  of  a  question  :  they  usually  commence  their  oppo- 
sition by  roundly  asserting  that  Spiritualism  never  has 
done  any  good  in  the  world;  that  it  is  evil,  and  ''  only 
evil  continually ;  "  its  aim  is  to  overthrow  every  good 
institution,  and  people  the  infernal  regions  with  millions 
who  otherwise  would  have  entered  the  world  of  "  celes- 
tial glory."  Thus  every  possible  eflPort  is  made  to  get 
the  idea  "grounded  and  settled  "  in  the  hearts  of  the 
people,  that  there  is  something  in  Spiritualism  calculated 
to  destroy  the  morals  of  its  adherents.  Cases  of  immo- 
rality among  Spiritualists  are  magnified,  and  presented  to 
the  world  as  evidence  of  the  downward  tendency  of 
Spiritualism. 

This  mode  of  argumentation  is  unfair.  The  question 
is  not.  Are  there  immoral  Spiritualists  ?  but,  Does  Spirit- 
ualism lead  men  and  women  who  otherwise  would  be 
chaste  and  virtuous  to  lives  of  degradation  ?  We 
claim  that  it  does  not ;  that  its  tendency  is  in  the  other 
direction.  We  are  willing  to  pledge  ourself  to  find 
more  cases  of  immorality  in  any  of  the  evangelical 
churches  than  any  person  can  find  among  the  Spiritual- 
ists of  America.  What  shall  be  done  when  cases  of 
immorality  are  found  in  the  churches  ?  Shall  they  be 
held  up  as  evidences  of  the  immoral  tendency  of  Chris- 
tianity ?  or  shall  we  say,  as  do  others,  that  "  it  is  human 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  33 

to  err,"  and  look  upon  their  errors  as  mistakes  and 
shortcomings  of  humanity,  rather  than  evidence  of  the 
damnable  tendency  of  their  religion  ? 

If  the  errors  of  Christian  people  are  only  evidences 
of  the  frailty  of  humanity,  may  not  the  errors  of  Spirit- 
ualists be  attributed  to  the  same  source  ?  The  truth  is, 
*'  there  is  none  good,  no,  not  one."  All  are  imperfect. 
.Men  differ  only  in  degree;  none  walk  by  an  infallible 
standard :  yet  some  come  nearer  the  standard  erected 
by  the  world  than  others.  No  one  is  absolutely  good, 
even  in  his  own  estimation.  Not  one  upon  earth  but 
that  is  "  found  wantino;,"  even  when  weicrhed  in  scales 
of  his  own  making.  No  one  ever  yet  worshiped  a 
God  that  he  did  not  make  himself.  "  jMan  makes  God 
in  his  own  image  "  is  a  decided  improvement  on  bibli- 
cal phraseology.  Another  proverb  might  be  improved 
by  having  it  read,  "  An  honest  God  is  the  noblest  work 
of  man." 

The  truth  is,  the  Infinite  never  was  fully  comprehended 
by  the  finite  ;  but  all  have  their  ideas  of  Deity.  These 
ideas  we  worship,  and  call  God  ;  and  as  the  ideas  of  one 
have  fallen  below  or  reached  beyond  those  of  another, 
so  one  has  worshiped  a  more  pure  or  impure  god,  as 
the  case  might  be,  than  another.  In  theology,  men 
have  been  wont  to  embody  all  that  they  can  imagine 
that  is  pure,  good,  true,  and  lovely,  and  call  that  God, 
and  worship  it  as  such.  As  we  strive  in  our  every-day 
life  to  imitate  the  character  of  the  god  we  worship,  we 
approach,  by  constant  practice,  nearer  to  it  yet  we  are 
only  following' on  ;  we  can  only  advance  in  proportion  as 
our  ideal  god  advances  :  hence  our  theory  must  eter- 
nally be  ahead  of  our  practice.     So,  judging  every  man 


34  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

by  his  own  theory,  he  is  not  exactly  correct  in  7iis  hfe. 
The  only  query  then  is,  Who  are  nearest  the  true  stan- 
dard, —  Spiritualists  or  others  ? 

Were  the  religion  of  any  denomination  to  be  judged 
by  the  shortcomings  of  its  members,  what  church  could 
stand  ?  This  mode  of  judging  of  any  religious  theory 
is  illogical  and  unfair  ;  yet  it  is  that  adopted  by  the  op- 
ponents of  Spiritualism.  Try  even  the  religion  of  Bible 
times  —  that  of  the  prophets  and  apostles  themselves  — 
by  this  standard,  and  upon  its  banners  will  be  inscribed, 
''  Mene,  Mene,  Tekel." 

As  it  is  no  part  of  our  business  to  hunt  out  the  short- 
comings of  any  sect  or  party,  a  few  illustrations  must 
suffice.  A  paragraph  or  two  will  sufficiently  illustrate 
the  shortcomings  of  Bible  people,  living  in  Bible  times. 
To  whom  shall  we  go  for  evidence  ?  Shall  we  consult 
Porphyry,  Celsus,  Julian  the  apostate,  or  more  modem 
infidels  ?  Shall  Hume,  Voltaire,  or  Paine  testify  ?  No. 
Let  us  go  to  Bible-makers  themselves. 

Jeremiah,  an  ancient  medium,  a  preacher  of  the  Jew- 
ish religion,  in  addressing  God's  ancient  people,  said, — 

"  Behold,  ye  trust  in  lying  words,  that  can  not  profit. 
Will  ye  steal,  murder,  and  swear  falsely,  and  burn  in- 
cense unto  Baal,  and  walk  after  other  gods  whom  ye 
know  not,  and  come  and  stand  before  me  in  this  house, 
which  is  called  by  my  name,  and  say.  We  are  deliv- 
ered to  do  these  abominations  ?  Is  this  house,  which  is 
called  by  my  name,  become  a  den  of  robbers  in  your 
eyes  ?  Behold  !  even  I  have  seen  it,  saith  the  Lord.'* 
^Jer.  vii.  8-11. 

Is  it  so  ?  Were  God's  ancient  people,  who  enjoyed 
the  labors  of  the  inspired  prophets,  such  characters  ? 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  35 

Liars,  thieves,  murderers,  and  perjured  persons  con« 
stitute  the  church  of  God  in  the  days  of  Jeremiah  ! 
And  is  this  the  fountain  whence  Christianity  springs  ? 
Good  heavens !  Let  us  hear  no  more  of  immoral 
Spirituahsts.  Allowing  that  Jeremiah  tells  the  trutli, 
is  it  any  wonder  that  Jesus  said,  "  It  is  written  that 
my  house  shall  be  a  house  of  prayer ;  but  you  have 
made  it  a  den  of  thieves  "  ?  —  Matt.  xxi.  13. 

Hundreds  of  quotations  from  the  Bible  might  be 
given,  showing  that  these  lamentations  are  not  freaks  of 
the  imagination  of  Jeremiah  and  Jesus,  but  real  ti^uths. 
As  the  object  of  this  chapter  is  not  to  prove  that  other^ 
religions  have  not  made  good  men,  but  that  Spiritualism 
has  not  made  bad  men,  we  will,  with  one  more  quotation 
from  the  Old  Testament,  close  its  evidence  upon  this 
subject.  Hosea,  another  of  Israel's  ancient  teachers, 
said  of  the  church  of  his  day,  ''  By  swearing  and 
lying  and  killing  and  stealing  and  committing  adultery, 
they  break  out,  and  blood  toucheth  blood.'  —  Hos.  iv.  2. 

Such  extracts  from  Bible  writers  need  no  comment. 
The  religion  of  the  Jews  failed  to  reform  them  :  its  ten- 
dency may  have  been  good,  but  was  not  strong  enough 
to  hold  a  rebellious  people.  Now,  shall  we  take  the  short- 
comings of  the  Jewish  people  as  evidence  of  the  im- 
moral tendency  of  their  religion  ?  Such  is  the  course 
pursued  by  anti-Spiritualists  in  regard  to  the  errors  and 
shortcomino;s  of  those  who  believe  that  heaven  and 
earth  are  in  communion. 

Even  Christianity,  anciently  as  well  as  in  modern 
times,  failed  to  reform  those  who  embraced  it.  The 
church  at  Corinth  was  composed  of  such  a  notorious  set 
of  drunkards,  that  it  was  unwise  and  unsafe  to  adminis- 


36  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

ter  to  them  the  emblems  of  the  broken  body  and  spilled 
blood  of  Jesus,  one  of  their  gods  :  the  first  one  that  got 
the  wine  got  drunk  on  it,  and  others  were  compelled  to 
go  away  without  any,  doubtless  not  so  much  regretting 
their  failure  to  celebrate  their  Lord's  death,  as  the  fact 
that  they  were  not  the  lucky  one  who  got  the  first  pull 
at  the  wine.     Hear  Paul  plainly  state  the  facts  :  — 

"  Now  this  I  declare  to  you :  I  praise  you  not,  that 
ye  come  together  not  for  better,  but  for  worse.  For  first 
of  all,  W'hen  you  come  together  in  the  church,  I  hear 
that  there  be  divisions  among  you  ;  and  I  partly  believe 
it.  For  in  eating,  every  one  of  you  taketh  before  other 
his  own  supper,  and  one  is  hungry,  and  another  is 
drunken."  —  !  Cor.  xi.  17-21. 

Is  it  true  that  the  ancient  church  —  those  who  en- 
joyed the  immediate  labors  of  the  apostles  —  could  not 
come  together  for  a  religious  meeting  without  quarrel- 
ins,  and  finalh,  havino;  their  meetings  terminate  in  a 
drunken  row  /  Shall  w^e  say  that  Christianity  led  to 
their  drunken  quarrels  ?  No.  It  only  failed  to  prevent 
them.  So  Spiritualism  may,  in  some  instances,  for  a 
time,  fail  to  accomplish  the  great  w^ork  designed  to  be 
brought  about  by  it ;  yet  those  -who  accuse  it  of  having 
an  immoral  tendency  accuse  it  ^vrongfully. 

The  chief  charge  brought  against  Spiritualism  is  that 
of  ''  free  love."  By  this,  opponents  mean  a  promiscu- 
ous intermingling  of  the  sexes,  opposed  alike  to  the 
laws  of  God  and  man.  While  we  distinctly  deny  that 
Spiritualtsm  has  any  tendency  to  make  man  or  woman 
untrue  in  any  sense  whatever,  we  answer,  Suppose 
Spiritualism  does  tend  in  that  direction  ;  suppose  Spirit- 
ualism leads  to  licentiousness,  and  that  in  the  worst 


THE    QUESTION   SETTLED.  37 

form  that  the  meanest  opponent  of  Spiritualism  can  im- 
agine, —  is  it  any  worse  than  that  which  has  ever  obtained 
among  the  churches  ?  Who  can  find  a  case  that  will 
compare  in  vileness  with  that  stated  by  Paul  ?  Hear 
him  :  — 

"It  is  reported  commonly  that  there  is  fornication 
among  you,  and  such  fornication  as  is  not  so  much  as 
mentioned  among  the  Gentiles^  that  a  man  should  have 
his  father's  ivife''  —  1  Cor.  v.  1. 

This  case  is  not  among  the  Gentiles,  Heathens,  Spir- 
itualists, or  any  other  class  of  sinners,  but  in  the  church, 
under  the  immediate  labors  of  the  apostles.  How  did 
the  ancient  church  liivc  such  things  ?  Did  its  members 
regret  that  they  had  such  characters  in  its  fold  ?  Not  a 
bit  of  it :  they  were  proud  of  it.     Paul  says,  — 

"  And  ye  are  puffed  up,  and  have  not  rather  mourned 
that  he  that  hath  done  this  deed  might  be  taken  away 
from  among  you."  —  1  Cor.  v.  2. 

While  the  church  in  its  very  foundation,  under  the 
direct  labors  of  its  founders,  is  proud  to  acknowledge 
such  lew^dness,  let  its  children  of  the  nineteenth  century 
examine  the  block  whence  they  were  hewn,  and  con- 
sider Avhether  they  were  not  "  born  of  fornication," 
before  accusing  others  at  too  great  a  rate. 

A  few  words  on  the  errors  of  Spiritualists,  if  thrown 
out  in  the  right  spirit,  may  help  them  to  be  better  men 
and  women.  But  how  woukl  a  chapter  look  devoted  to 
the  errors  of  Bible  saints?  For  instance,  parade  the 
following,  as  a  few  specimens  of  the  errors  of  those 
through  whom  God  anciently  manifested  himself:  — 

Noah  got  drunk,  cursed  his  grandson,  and,  some  think, 
brought  slavery  upon  a  whole  race,  though  guilty  of 
no  crime.  —  Gen.  ix.  21-25. 


38  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

Just  and  riglitcous  Lot  (2  Pet.  ii.  20-25)  becamt 
beastly  intoxicated,  and  committed  incest  with  his  two 
daughters,  each  of  whom  liad  a  child  by  her  own  father. 
—  Gen.  xix.  31-38. 

Abraham  had  a  plurality  of  wives  and  concubines, 
abandoned  his  own  son,  and  left  him  to  die  in  the  wil- 
derness, married  his  own  sister,  denied  his  own  wife, 
and  attempted  to  kill  his  only  legitimate  son.  —  Gen. 
xii.  13,  19;  xiv.  2-4;  xv.  2-5,  12;  xxi.  10-14;  xxii. 
1-11. 

Isaac  followed  in  the  path  of  his  father,  and  denied 
his  wife.  —  Gen.  xxvi.  6. 

Jacob  took  advantage  of  his  brother's  starving  condi- 
tion, and  cheated  him  out  of  his  birthright,  by  lying  to 
and  deceiving  his  old  blind  father,  and  thus  succeeded 
in  stealing  his  brother's  blessing  ;  had  two  wives  and 
several  concubines ;  stole  his  father-in-law's  cattle, 
&c.  —  Gen.  XXV.  32,  33 ;  xxvii.  19 ;  xxix.  18-30 ; 
XXX.  5  ;  verse  40. 

His  twelve  sons  followed  the  example  of  their  father, 
insomuch  that  there  is  hardly  a  crime  in  the  catalogue 
of  which  they  were  not  guilty. 

Moses'  first  pubhc  act  was  to  commit  a  murder.  He 
advises  his  brethren  to  steal,  or  borrow  and  run  away 
with  the  borrowed  goods,  which  is  the  same  thing ; 
orders  the  destruction  of  innocent  babes,  and  the  cap- 
tivating of  females  for  tlic  purpose  of  prostituting  them 
to  the  gratification  of  the  base  lusts  of  the  Jewish  sol- 
diery.  —  Exod.  ii.  12;  Num.  xxxi.  17,  18. 

Joshua  was  perhaps  the  greatest  butcher  of  men  and 
women  that  ever  lived.  The  sun  is  ever  represented 
as  obeying  his  command  to  stand  still  while  he  commits 
wholesale  murder.  —  Josh.  x.  13. 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  39 

Samuel  hewed  an  old,  innocent,  helpless,  and  defense- 
less man  to  pieces.  —  1  Sam.  xv.  33. 

David  had  a  plurality  of  wives  and  concubines ;  then 
lived  an  illegitimate  life  with  the  wife  of  Uriah  ;  caused 
Uriah  to  be  killed  that  he  might  continue  his  licentious 
debauchery ;  put  his  enemies  under  saws,  axes  and  har- 
rows, and  burned  them  in  brick-kilns.  —  2  Sam.  xi.  1,  6, 
15  ;  xii.  8,  29-31. 

Solomon's  crimes  were  so  great  and  numerous,  that 
even  orthodox  commentators  feel  a  little  shaky  about 
holding  him  up  for  an  example  of  purity.  We  should 
require  a  larger  volume  than  this  to  record  them. 

Passing  to  the  New  Testament,  we  find  matters  not 
much  improved.  Jesus  made  mistakes,  got  angry  with 
an  audience  because  they  could  not  answer  a  question, 
destroyed  a  drove  of  swine,  cursed  a  fig-tree  because  it 
did  not  produce  figs  out  of  season,  urged  men  to  hate 
their  wives  and  children,  overthrew  the  tables  belong- 
ing to  money-changers,  and  by  violence  drove  the  Jews 
out  of  their  own  meeting-house.  —  Mark  iii.  5  ;  v.  13  ; 
Matt.  xxi.  12,  19  ;  Luke  xiv.  26. 

Peter  denied  his  Lord,  cursed  and  swore,  quarreled 
with  Paul,  and  lived  after  the  manner  of  the  Gentiles, 
at  the  same  time  compelling  the  Gentiles  to  live  as  do 
the  Jews.  — Matt.  xxvi.  74;  Gal.  ii.  11-14. 

Paul,  by  his  own  statement  the  "  chief  of  sinners," 
became  all  things  to  all  men,  lied  that  the  truth  might 
abound,  being  crafty,  caught  his  brethren  with  guile, 
and  exhorted  to  obedience  to  bad  laws.  —  1  Cor.  ix. 
22;  Rom.  iii.  7;  2  Cor.  xii.  16;  Rom.  jiii.  1,  2. 

Such,  dear  reader,  is  a  sample  of  the  spots  on  the 
sun  of  Bible  saints.     Can  Spiritualists  exhibit  a  worse 


40  T^E   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

record  ?  We  now  come  directly  to  the  question,  la 
Spiritualism  in  its  phenomena  and  pliilosophy  immoral  ? 
If  immoral  Spiritualists  could  be  found  in  every  village 
and  hamlet  in  the  world,  it  would  no  more  prove  Spirit- 
ualism immoral  in  its  tendency  than  finding  an  immoral 
astronomer  would  prove  astronomy  immoral.  Let  it  be 
understood  that  Spiritualism  disfellowships  no  one  on 
account  of  his  doctrine  or  conduct.  Believino;  that  each 
one  stands  or  falls  to  his  own  master,  it  is  not  our 
province  to  say  who  is  or  who  is  not  worthy  to  hold 
communion  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  other  world.  If 
Jesus,  while  on  earth,  could  talk  with  the  Marys  and 
Marthas  (earth's  Magdalenes),  and  say  to  the  woman 
taken  in  the  very  act  of  adultery,  "  Neither  do  I  con- 
demn thee,  go,  and  sin  no  more "  (John  viii.  11), 
why  should  the  denizens  of  the  spirit-world,  who  have 
themselves  experienced  earth's  bitter  trials,  refuse  to 
hold  communion  with  those  who  most  need  it  ?  Let 
an  individual  in  the  church  commit  a  great  crime,  let 
him  wallow  in  drunkenness  in  the  mire,  and  there  is 
not  a  church  in  Christendom  but  that  will  disfellowship 
him.  While  they  refuse  to  fellowship  a  person  because 
of  crime,  ought  there  to  be  a  sinner  in  the  church  ?  No. 
Then  what  is  to  become  of  the  poor,  church-forsaken 
sinner  ?  He  may  wallow  in  the  mire  until  he  grows 
gray.  The  priest  passes  by  on  one  side,  and  the  Levite 
on  the  other  ;  neither  extending  a  helping  hand,  but  each 
saying,  "  You  miserable  wretch  !  Go  to  hell  for  all  of 
us;  we  will  not  have  our  church  polluted  with  }0u. 
We  came  not  to  call  sinners  but  the  righteous  to  re- 
pentance." Spiritualism  says,  ''Never  was  theie  a 
man  so  low  but  there  was  something  good  there.     We 


THE  QUESTION  SETTLED.  41 

must  bless  such."  Hence,  it  welcomes  such  to  its  ranks. 
It  is  a  reform  school ;  and,  if  a  person  needs  reforming 
either  doctrinally  or  morally,  he  needs  Spiritualism. 
Hence,  their  doctrines  teach  them  to  keep  such  in  their 
ranks,  and  labor  even  more  ardently  for  them  than  for 
those  whose  lives  could  be  squared  without  it.  Ho, 
ye  vile,  corrupt,  polluted  souls  !  Spirituahsm  calls.  Ex- 
tending its  helping  hand  to  you,  it  says,  as  Moses  did  to 
Hobab,  "  Come  and  go  ivith  us,  and  we  will  do  thee 
good.''^  More  would  we  give  to  see  one  poor,  drunken 
sinner  embrace  Spiritualism  than  to  see  every  evan- 
gelical Chnstian  in  the  land  flock  to  its  standard,  leav- 
ing poor  outcasts  in  the  cold.  If  the  religious  systems 
of  the  day  can  make  their  adherents  good  enough,  they, 
perhaps,  need  no  better  ;  but,  for  heaven's  sake,  let 
Spiritualism  live  to  bless  those  who  are  out  of  the  reach 
of  those  who  say,  "Sit  thou  here,  or  stand  thou  there; 
for  I  am  holier  than  thou." 

Phenomenal  Spiritualism  teaches  us  that  our  friends 
whom  we  had  supposed  to  be  dead  "  are  ever  near  us, 
though  unseen."  Is  that  immoral  in  its  tendency  ? 
There  is  not  a  Spiritualist  in  the  world  who  does  not 
believe  that  he  is  surrounded  by  an  angel  brotherhood ; 
that  good,  pure,  and  noble  spirits  are  watching  his 
every  act,  ever  rejoicing  in  his  good  resolutions,  and 
helping  in  his  every  effort  to  carry  them  into  effect,  and 
displeased,  grieved,  and  chagrined  with  every  wicked 
act.  Spiritualists  do  not  believe  that  they  are  ever 
alone.  Fathers  who  have  crossed  death's  "narrow 
stream,"  sainted  mothers,  angel  wives,  beautiful  sons 
and  daughters,  all  appeal  with  more  than  earthly  logic 
and   eloquence  to   the  believer  to  "  make  strait  paths 


42  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

for  his  feet."  Will  that  belief  make  a  man  worse? 
Nay,  tell  us  that  noonday  sun  brings  midnight  darkness, 
tliat  pure  living  water  creates  thirst,  and  that  honey  is 
bitter  to  the  taste ;  but  don't  tell  us  that  a  behef  that 
we  are  surrounded  by  the  pure  and  good  will  incline  us 
to  evil. 

Admit  that  Spiritualism  is  all  false,  that  no  spirit  ever 
did  or  ever  will  communicate  :  is  not  the  belief  that  they 
are  around  us,  watching  all  our  doings,  and,  perhaps, 
telling  not  only  our  doings,  but  our  secret  thoughts,  to 
others  (for  Spiritualists  believe  that  dead  men  tell 
tales  sometimes),  calculated  to  prompt  us  to  watch  our 
actions,  words,  and  thoughts  more  closely  than  ever 
before  ?  We  so  decide.  We'  have  had  experience  on 
each  side  of  this  great  question,  and,  with  the  stake 
before  us,  we  could  not  decide  otherwise. 

Are  the  dead  with  us  ?      Do  they  watch   our  every 

act? 

"  How  careful,  then,  ought  I  to  live ; 
With  what  religious  fear  !  " 

Taking  the  above  view  of  the  subject,  have  not 
Spiritualists  at  least  one  stimulant  to  virtue  not  known 
to  others  ? 

If  we  turn  from  the  phenomena  to  the  philosophy 
taught  by  Spiritualism,  we  find  that  equally  as  urgently 
appealing  to  all  there  is  of  man  to  be  true  to  his  man- 
hood. How  is  it  with  orthodoxy  ?  There  is  not  an 
evangelical  church,  or  hardly  a  person  who  is  a  mem- 
ber of  one,  who  does  not  indorse  the  sentiment  that,  — ' 

"  Between  the  stirrup  and  the  ground, 
Mercy  was  sought  and  pardon  found." 


THE    QUESTION   SETTLED.  43 

If  the  foregoing  couplet  is  not  sung  by  tliera,  they  do 
Bing  that,  — 

"  While  the  lamp  holds  out  to  burn, 
The  vilest  sinner  may  return." 

Can  any  thing  be  found  in  all  heathenism  as  corrupt- 
ing as  the  above  couplet  ?  It  teaches  the  sinner  to 
pursue  his  sinful  course  ;  "  for  as  long  as  there  is  life 
there  is  hope."  Where  is  there  a  person  in  all  ortho- 
doxy who  does  not  believe  that  somehow,  through  the 
sufferincr  of  the  innocent  Nazarene,  his  guilty  soul,  all 
black  with  crime,  will  be  washed  and  made  white  as  the 
driven  snow?  The  dying  profligate  offers  a  prayer, 
sheds  a  tear,  and  is  immediately  ushered  into  an  upper- 
ten  heaven,  and,  having  taken  advantage  of  the  bank- 
rupt law  for  sin,  sits  down  by  the  side  of  the  Great 
Jehovah  as  pure  and  good  as  the  most  sinless  angel. 
Spiritualists  do  not  believe  this :  they  believe  that  all 
must  suffer  the  consequence  of  their  own  actions. 

"  There  is  no  bankrupt  law  for  sin, 
Though  Pharisee  may  teach  it ; 
No  limitation  act  steps  in, 
Though  Paul  himself  might  preach  it." 

There  is  no  ''if,"  "and,"  or  proviso  in  the  matter; 
the  violator  of  the  law  can  not  escape :  he  must  in  his 
own  proper  pei'son  suffer  the  penalty. 

"  When  you  can  tread  on  burning  coals. 
And  never  scorch  your  feet, 
Then  you  may  break  God's  righteous  law, 
Its  penalty  not  meet." 


44  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

A  familiar  story  will  illustrate  our  ideas  on  tliis  sub- 
ject. It  is  said  that  in  a  distant  country,  almost  nine- 
teen centuries  since,  there  were  two  individuals  of 
directly  opposite  characters.  One  of  them  went  about 
doing  £2;ood,  pronouncing  benedictions  on  the  poor,  the 
sad,  and  the  sorrowing.  He  made  it  his  business  to 
relieve  all  suffering  under  his  control,  whether  moral, 
mental,  spiritual,  or  physical.  The  other  was  a  low, 
vile  wretch,  who  made  his  living  by  highway  robbery. 
In  short,  he  was  guilty  of  almost  every  crime  in  the 
calendar. 

"  Now  it  happened  that  these  men  in  their  passing  away 
From  earth  and  its  conflicts  both  died  the  same  day." 

These  men  were  both  assassinated  at  the  same  time  ; 
one  on  account  of  his  crimes,  the  other  in  consequence 
of  the  prejudice  of  the  people.  While  in  the  agonies 
of  death,  the  murderer  turned  to  the  other,  supposed 
by  some  to  be  a  God,  and  said,  "  Lord,  remember  me 
when  thou  comest  into'thv  kino;dom."  The  other 
answered,  ''  To-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  Paradise." 

Now,  we  are  led  to  ask,  Is  it  so  ?  Is  it  just  ?  Did 
the  thief  go  with  Jesus  to  Paradise  that  day  ?  If  so, 
what  is  the  difference,  so  far  as  the  next  world  is  con- 
cerned, whether  a  person  is  a  Jesus  or  a  thief?  All 
have  the  same  reward ;  the  only  difference  being,  one 
has  gone  into  heaven  honorably,  while  the  other  has 
taken  advantage  of  a  bankrupt  law,  and  gone  in  on 
another's  ticket. 

Spiritualism  does  not  teach  that  any  person  ever  did 
or   ever  will  go  to  heaven  at  the  event  called  death. 


THE    QUESTION   SETTLED.  45 

It  teaches  tliat  the  only  way  to  be  in  heaven  when  one 
passes  from  this  sphere  of  existence  is  to  die  in  heaven, 
and  that  tlie  only  way  to  die  in  heaven  is  to  live  in 
heaven,  and  that  the  only  way  to  live  in  heaven  is  to 
truly  live,  doing  your  duty  toward  every  body  and  every 
thing.  Spiritualists  believe  that  man  will  find  what  he 
carries,  either  in  this  or  the  other  world ;  that  he  com- 
mences living  in  the  other  world  where  he  left  off  here. 
If  he  dies  a  poor  God-forsaken  wretch,  he  will  find 
himself  such  on  the  other  side. 
The  poet  sings, — 

"  He  wept  tliat  we  miglit  weep ; 
Each  sin  demands  a  tear : 
In  heaven  alone  no  sin  is  found, 
.  And  there's  no  weeping  there." 

But  Spiritualism  knows  of  no  heaven  where  "  no 
sin  is  found."  It  wants  no  such  place.  We  ask,  we 
demand,  the  privilege  of  sinning  to  all  eternity.  Do  not 
mistake  us.  We  do  not  want  to  sin ;  but  we  do  want 
to  prove  to  angels,  to  God,  and  last,  though  not  least, 
to  ourself,  that  we  have  no  relish  for  sin  :  this  we  can 
only  do  by  having  the  gates  of  sin  thrown  open,  and  the 
privilege  of  entering  extended  to  us  ;  then,  if  we  refuse, 
all  will  know  it  is  because  we  love  the  right.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  we  are  taken  into  the  "  heaven  where  no 
sin  is  found,"  and  compelled  to  do  right  by  a  power  ah 
extra,  no  credit  is  due  us  for  our  rectitude.  We  were 
only  "the  clay  in  the  hands  of  the  potter,"  the  ma- 
chine :  if  we  run  well,  the  builder,  and  not  the  machine, 
has  the  credit.  With  such  an  arrangement,  Aliiighty 
God  himself  could  not  tell  whether  heaven  was  filled 


i6  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

with  angels  or  devils.  Death  makes  man  no  better,  nc 
worse  :  eacli  one  finds  himself,  morally  and  spiritually,  on 
the  other  side  of  its  stream,  where  lie  left  himself  here. 
He  opens  his  books  wliere  he  closed  them,  commences 
living  where  he  quit,  finds  himself  surrounded  with  all 
the  darkness  and  all  the  light  in  the  summer-land  that 
he  has  earned  by  his  life  here. 

Our  religion  teaches  us,  not  only  that  the  consequences 
of  our  actions  must  be  borne  by  ourselves,  but  that 
there  is  an  eternal  punishment  for  every  sin,  that  every 
act  of  man  makes  its  mark,  that  eternity  is  too  short 
to  wipe  out  the  scars  occasioned  by  sin.  "  Be  sure  your 
sin  will  find  you  out,"  is  written  in  the  Bible  of  the 
Spiritualist ;  and  *'  Whatsoever  a  man  soweth  that  shall 
he  also  reap,"  is  as  true  to-day  as  in  the  first  century. 

This  may  be  illustrated  in  the  following  manner. 
Two  men  at  the  age  of  forty  have  to-day  passed  to  the 
spirit-world.  One  of  them  has  spent  his  two-score  of 
years  in  acquiring  a  physical,  intellectual,  moral,  and 
spiritual  education,  and  in  living  out  the  principles  he 
has  learned :  the  other  has  spent  his  forty  years  in 
drunken,  carousing  debauchery.  He  enters  the  spirit- 
world  with  his  moral,  mental,  and  spiritual  faculties  all 
blunted  by  his  negligence  and  crime,  insomuch  that  he 
does  not  realize  that  he  has  a  spiritual  nature.  Per- 
haps it  will  take  him  as  long  after  his  passage  to  spirit- 
life,  as  he  endured  this,  to  wake  up  to  consciou-sness 
enough  to  realize  that  he  has  thrown  off  the  animal,  and 
put  on  the  spiritual  body.  He  will  learn  sooner  or 
later,  by  experience,  if  in  no  other  way,  that  "  though 
hand  join  in  hand,  the  sinner  can  not  go  unpunished." 
In  connection  with  this,  he  will  soon  see  the  necessity 


THE   QUESTIOIS    SETTLED.  47 

of  progress.  But,  during  the  perhaps  tlirice  forty  years 
tliat  he  has  been  getting  these  lessons,  his  friend  has 
been  overcoming  difficuUies.  Now  he  finds  liimself  an 
almost  immeasurable  distance  behind  one  by  whose  side 
he  ought  to  stand.  He  never  can  reach  his  friend 
After  the  most  severe  struggle,  after  years  of  incessant 
toil,  he  settles  down  with  the  humiliating  reflection, 
"  I  am  so  many  years  behind  one  by  whose  side  I 
should  stand  I  Time  will  not  help  me  to  catch  up : 
moments  are  graciously  given,  one  comes  as  soon  as 
another  passes  ;  and,  though  I  improve  them  all,  my 
fi-iend  does  the  same,  and  thus  keeps  his  distance  ahead 
of  me." 

Is  not  that  an  eternal  punishment  ?  Is  it  not  punish- 
ment enough  ?     Who  would,  who  could,  endure  more  ? 

Church  systems  teach  that  we  are  what  God  makes 
us :  Spiritualism  teaches  that  tve  are  what  we  make  om^- 
selves.  Patient  reader,  which  of  the  two  theories  is  the 
better  calculated  to  urge  its  adherents  forward  to  seek 
and  put  into  practice  the  principles  of  harmony  and 
trutli  ?  You  are  the  jnror.  May  we  ask  from  you  a 
candid  and  honest  verdict  ? 

That  all  may  be  led  to  see  and  put  into  ijractical  use 
the  pure  principles  which  are  being  kindly  vouchsafed 
to  us  by  the  angel-world,  is  the  devout  and  earnest 
prayer  of  the  writer  of  these  pages. 


CHAPTER    III. 


BIBLE   DOCTRINE    OF    ANGEL   MINISTRY. 

A  Common  Doctrine — Angels  are  Spirits  —  Terms  "Man"  and  "Angel"  — 
Angel  Men  visit  Abraham,  Lot,  Joshua  —  The  Host  of  the  Lord  —  An  Angel 
appears  to  Gideon;  to  Manoah's  wife;  is  inti'oduced  to  Manoah  —  Writing 
on  the  Wall  —  Daniel  a  Superior  Medium  —  Gabriel  both  a  Man  and  Angel 

—  The  Stone  rolled  from  the  Sepulchre  by  a  Man  —  Cornelius's  Visitant — 
Peter  a  Trance-Medium  —  A  Spirit  talks  to  him — Peter's  Explanation  — 
The  Book  of  Revelation  a  Series  of  Spirit-Communications  —  John  sees  his 
Brother  —  An  Angel  —  God's  Family  —  Bible  replete  with  History  of  Angelic 
Ministration  —  No  Bible-Writer  has  tried  to  prove  it  —  All  the  Angels  are 
Ministering  Spirits  —  Number  of  Angels  —  Bible  Saints  trusted  too  much  to 
the  Angels  —  Abraham's  Confidence  —  Angels  select  Isaac's  AVife  —  "Mur- 
der will  out"  —  Moses  and  the  Angel  —  Angels  deliver  Israel  —  A  A\Tiole 
Nation  of  Mediums  —  Conditions  must  be  obeyed  —  Joshua  developed  as  a 
Medium  —  Joshua  and  the  Angel  —  A  Circle — Jericho  taken  —  The  Modus 
Operandi  —  Camels  swallowed  and  Gnats  rejected  —  Angel  Ministry  vs. 
Miracle  —  The  Hebrews  and  the  Fire  —  Nebuchadnezzar  sees  an  Angel  — 
Jugglers  play  with  Fire —  Chemicals  prevent  the  Penetration  of  Heat  —  Let- 
ter from  Rev.  J.  M.  Peebles  —  The  Explanation  —  The  Result,  an  Increase 
of  Faith  —  Master  Frank  Goodman  —  Mr.  D.  D.  Homo  and  the  Fire  Tests  — 
Daniel  and  the  Lions  —  Prayers  answered  by  Angels  —  Jesus'  Prayers  — 
Daniel's  Prayer  —  Angel's  Effort  to  answer  —  Another  finally  assists  and 
succeeds  —  The  Emancipation  Proclamation  —  An  Ancient  Prayer-Meeting 

—  Peter  let  out  of  Prison  —  Peter  at  the  Door — Only  Spirit-Raps  — Modern 
Mediums  released  from  Prison  —  Author  does  not  believe  —  Admonition. 

"  For  he  shall  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee,  to  keep  thee  in  all 
thy  ways."  —  Fs.  xci.  11 

ryiHERE   is,  perliaps,  not  a  Christian  in  the  world 

-L      who  docs  not  believe,  tliat,  in  past  ages,  angels  — 

ministering  spirits  —  came  from  their  heavenly  abode  to 

bless  and  assist  the  children  of  God.     Tell  cJiurchmen 

48 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  49 

that  angels  even  now  are  watching  over  and  blessing 
them,  and  they  will  tell  you  they  always  believed  that. 
Have  they  not  ever  sung — • 

"  There  are  angels  hovering  around  "  ? 

But  when  you  inform  them  that  God  ^'  maketh  his 
angels  spirits"  (Ps.  civ.  4),  that  they  are  all  minis- 
tering spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  for  them  who 
shall  be  heirs  of  salvation  (Heb.  i.  14),  some  will 
shrink  from  you  as  though  you  were  laden  with  a  con- 
tagion which  would  sweep  them  from  the  earth. 
"  What !  my  father  and  mother,  my  dead  friends,  come 
back  ?  It  is  not  possible  !  "  Yes,  it  is  possible  ;  and  we 
propose  in  this  chapter  to  prove  it.  Not  that  we  are 
going  now  to  undertake  to  prove  directly  that  spirits  of 
the  departed  hold  communion  with  earth's  inhabitants  : 
we  have  "  rods  in  soak  "  on  that  question.  We,  in  this 
chapter,  design  to  show  that  "  angels  are  spirits,"  and 
that  they  ever  have  and  ever  will  administer  to  the  in- 
habitants of  e^rth.  Perhaps  our  readers  are  not  all  of 
them  aware  that  the  terms  " man  "  and  "angel"  are  in  the 
Bible  used  interchangeably  with  reference  to  those  who 
have  passed  to  the  spirit-world.  If  not,  a  few  refer- 
ences to  that  book  will  convince  them  that  it  is  so. 
The  three  men  who  appeared  to  Abraliam  (Gen.  xviii. 
8)  were  none  other  than  men  whom  we  call  dead. 

In  Gen.  xix.  1,  we  read  that  two  angels  came  to 
see  Lot  in  Sodom  ;  but  verses  8,  9,  10,  and  12,  each 
state  that  they  were  men.  Verse  15  again  calls  them 
angels ;  but,  as  if  to  forever  seal  the  idea  that  men  and 
angels  are  the  s;ime,  verse  16  says,  "  The  men  laid  hold 
4 


50  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

upon  his  hand,  and  upon  the  hand  of  his  wife,  and  upon 
the  hand  of  his  two  daughters,  the  Lord  being  merciful 
unto  them  ;  and  they  brought  them  forth,  and  set  thera 
without  the  city." 

In  the  lieading  of  the  fifth  chapter  of  Joshaa,  we 
read,  "  An  angel  appeareth  to  Joshua ;  "  but  in  verses 
13, 14,  instead  of  an  angel  appearing  to  Joshua,  we  have 
the  folio wino- :  — 

"  And  it  came  to  pass  when  Joshua  was  by  Jericho, 
that  he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  looked,  and,  behold,  there 
stood  a  man  over  ao;ainst  him,  with  his  sword  drawn  in 
his  hand  ;  and  Joshua  went  unto  him,  and  said  unto 
him.  Art  thou  for  us,  or  for  our  adversaries  ?  And  he 
said.  Nay ;  blit  as  captain  of  the  host  of  the  Lord  am  I 
now  come.  And  Joshua  fell  on  his  face  to  the  earth, 
and  did  worship,  and  said  unto  him.  What  saith  my 
Lord  to  his  servant?  " 

This  man  declares  himself  to  be  the  "  captain  of  the 
host  of  the  Lord ;  "  but  the  Lord's  host  is  an  angel  host. 
See  Gen.  xxxii.  1,  2. 

The  "  angel  of  the  Lord"  which  came  to  Gideon  in 
Jud«^  n.  11,  12  —  that  Gideon  thouMit  was  a  man, 
verse  '22  —  is  undoubtedly  the  spirit  of  the  Lord,  which 
came  ^apon  Gideon  in  verse  34,  enabling  him  to  use 
such  v/isdom,  stratagem,  and  power  in  putting  his  ene- 
mies to  flio;ht.  —  Judo;,  vii.  19-21. 

In  Judg.  xiii.  3,  an  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  to  the 
wife  of  Manoali ;  but,  when  she  related  the  matter  to  her 
husband,  she  said,  "  A  man  of  God  came  unto  me."  In 
verse  8,  Manoah  prays  for  the  man  of  God  to  come 
back.  Verse  9  says,  "  God  hearkened  unto  the  prayer 
of  M'lnoah,  and  the  angel  of  God  came  to  him ;  then 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  51 

the  lady  introduced  tlie  angel  to  her  luisband,  calHng 
him  "  the  man  of  God ; "  after  which  Manoah  and  this 
man  have  a  long  tete-d-tete,  in  which  this  man  is  seven 
times  called  an  ano-el. 

In    Dan.    v.  5,  it  was   not    said   to  be   the   fingers 
of  an  angel's,  but  a  man's  hand,  that  wrote  on  the  plaster 
of  the  wall  of  the  king's  palace.     May  we  not  reasona- 
bly suppose  that   this  same   man  whose   hand  did  the 
writing  is  the  one  who  is  called  "  the  spirit  of  the  holy 
gods,"  who  influenced  Daniel  to  interpret  the  writing? 
See  verses   11,  1-1.      Certain   we  are,   that  the    spirit 
which  influenced  Daniel  was  said  to  be  an  excellent  one 
(Dan.    vi.  3)  ;  perhaps    the  same   one   who  preserved 
Daniel's  life,  whom  Daniel  calls  an  angel,  when  he  says, 
"  My  God  hath  sent  his  angel,  and  hath  shut  the  lions" 
mouths"  (verse  22).    Daniel  was  evidently  a  medium, 
superior  to  any  other  in  Babylon.     It  was  for  this  rea- 
son that  Nebuchadnezzar  appointed  Daniel  "  master  of 
the  magicians,  astrologers,  Chaldseans,  and  soothsayers ; 
forasmuch  as   an  excellent  spirit   and    knowledge    and 
understanding,  interpreting  of  dreams,  and  showing  of 
hard  sentences,  and  dissolving  of  doubts,  were  found  in 
the  same  Daniel."  —  Dan.  v.  11,  12. 

In  Dan.  viii.  13,  one  saint  -is  heard  talking  to 
another.  In  verse  16,  a  man  is  heard  talking  to  Ga- 
briel, who  is  himself  distinctly  called  a  man  (see  Dan. 
viii.  21).  The  manhood  of  Gabriel  does  not  in  the 
least  injure  his  angelliood ;  for  we  read  in  Luke  i.  19, 
that  "  the  angel^  answering,  said  unto  him,  I  am  Gabriel 
that  standeth  in  the  presence  of  God." 

In  Matt,  xxviii.  1-3,  we  have  the  account  of  the 
angel  of  the  Lord  descending  from  heaven,  and  rolling 


52  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

tlie  stone  back  from  the  door  of  the  sepulclire,  and  tak- 
ing his  scat  on  It.  He  is  described  as  wearinn;  raiment 
as  wliite  as  snow,  while  his  countenance  was  hke  the 
hghtning.  As  this  event  occurred  before  dayhght  (see 
verse  1),  it  was  a  good  time  to  exhibit  spirit-hghts  ;  and 
perhaps  that  was  what  caused  the  illumination  of  his 
countenance.  Matthew  does  not  tell  us  who  this  angel 
was :  but  J\Iark  does.  He  says,  "  And,  entering  into 
the  sepulchre,  they  saw  a  young  man  sitting  on  the 
riglit  side,  clothed  in  a  long,  white  garment ;  and  they 
were  affrighted."  —  Mark  xvi.  5. 

Cases  similar  to  the  above  could  be  multiplied  almost 
ad  infinitum  ;  but  one  more  must  suffice. 

In  Acts  X.  1-8,  we  have  the  history  of  a  devout 
man,  one  who  "  prayed  to  God  alway."  The  writer 
of  the  Book  of  Acts  says  an  angel  came  to  him,  and 
told  him  to  send  men  to  Joppa,  to  the  house  of  one  Si- 
mon a  tanner,  located  on  the  sea-beach ;  and  that  he 
would  find  one  Simon  Peter,  who  had  taken  up  lodg- 
ino;s  with  him  ;  this  Peter  would  tell  him  some  thing's  he 
ought  to  do.  So  he  sent  his  servants  as  per  order. 
Meanwhile,  Peter  went  upon  the  house-top  to  pray : 
while  in  the  act  of  prayer,  he  became  entranced.  (As 
some  of  our  readers  may  not  know  what  that  means, 
we  will  invite  them  to  visit  a  good  trance-medium,  and 
they  will  have  its  meaning  ocularly  demonstrated.) 
Strange  visions  were  presented  to  Peter  during  this 
entrancement — visions  which  he  did  not  understand: 
hence  a  spirit  came  to  him  to  make  an  explanation. 
The  spirit  told  him  to  go  to  the  house,  and  find  three 
men  there  who  were  seeking  him,  and  go  with  them. 
From  the  tenor  of  this  whole  subject  so  far,  we  con- 


tHE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  53 

elude  tliat  tliis  spirit  could  have  been  none  other  than 
the  angel  who  appeared  to  Cornelius.  Peter  followed 
spirit  direction,  and  went  to  the  house  of  Cornelius,  and 
asked,  "  To  what  intent  have  you  sent  for  me  ?  "  (verse 
29.)  Cornelius  replied,  "  Four  days  ago  I  was  fasting 
nntil  this  hour  ;  and  at  the  ninth  hour,  I  prayed  in  my 
house,  and,  behold,  a  man  stood  before  me  m  bright 
clothing,"  &c.  (verse  30).  Peter,  upon  witnessing  the 
same  phenomena  among  the  Gentiles  that  he  formerly 
had  seen  among  the  Jews,  makes  the  discovery  that 
''  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons;  "  and  hence  preached 
the  gospel,  and  administered  the  ordinances  to  them, 
the  same  as  though  they  had  been  Jews.  Peter's  Jew- 
ish brethren,  of  course,  called  him  to  an  account  for  his 
innovation  in  preaching  to  the  Gentiles ;  whereupon  he 
tells  his  reasons  for  his  course,  the  first  of  which  was, 
"  The  spirit  bade  me  go"  (Acts  xi.  12).  The  second 
was,  when  he  got  down  there,  Cornelius  "  showed  us 
how  he  had  seen  an  angel  in  his  house,  which  stood  and 
said  unto  him,  Send  men  to  Joppa,  and  call  for  one 
Simon,  whose  surname  Is  Peter."  —  Acts  xi.  13. 

In  this  narrative  we  have,  1st,  An  angel  appearing  to 
Cornelius.  2d,  This  angel  goes  to  Peter  on  the  house- 
top, but  is  a  sinrit  when  he  gets  there.  3d,  Cornelius, 
in  relating  the  phenomenon  which  occurred  in  his  house, 
says,  A  man  appeared  to  me  ;  and,  4th,  When  Peter  re- 
hearsed this  matter  to  his  Jewish  brethren,  he  said, 
"  Cornelius  showed  us  how  that  he  had  seen  an  angels 
Is  not  this  enough  to  elucidate  the  fact  that  the  terms 
"  angel,"  "  spirit,"  and  "  man,"  are  used  synonymously 
and   interchangeably  in   the  Bible?      If  not,  we  will 


54  THE    QUESTION   SETTLED. 

favor  onr  readers  witli  one  more  evidence,  drawn  from 
the  Book  of  Revelation. 

The  book  known  as  the  Apocalypse  is  but  a  commu- 
nication, or  rather  series  of  commmiications,  from  a 
circle  of  seven  spirits.  (See  Rev.  i.  4.)  We  do  not 
know  who  they  all  are.  Daniel  the  prophet  was  probably 
one  of  them  (see  Rev.  xix.  10,  xxii.  7,  8)  ;  Jesus  the 
Nazarene  another  (Rev.  i.  5,  xxii.  16).  One  of  them 
was  seen  and  very  minutely  described  in  Rev.  i.  14-17. 
Others  were  seen  several  times,  but  not  described  so  par- 
ticularly. Seven  times  in  this  book,  those  who  have 
ears  to  hear  are  admonished  to  "  hear  what  the  spirit 
saith  unto  the  churches.*'  Would  that  the  churches 
even  now^  were  willing  to  heed  the  admonition  to  listen 
to  spirit-voices ! 

In  Rev.  xxii.  8,  John  gets  a  view  of  one  of  the  spirits 
through  whom  his  book  is  being  given  ;  again  his  vene 
ration  is  excited,  and  he  is  about  to  fall   down  and  wor- 
ship: but  w^e  will  let  him  tell  his  own  story. 

"  And  I  John  saw  these  things,  and  heard  them. 
And,  when  I  had  heard  and  seen,  I  fell  down  to  worship 
before  the  feet  of  tlie  angel  which  showed  me  these 
things.  Then  saith  he  unto  me.  See  thou  do  it  not ;  for 
I  am  thy  felloiv-servant,  and  of  thy  hrethren  the  prophets, 
and  of  them  which  keep  the  sayinys  of  this  book  :  w^orship 
God."  — Rev.  xxii.  8. 

From  the  array  of  testimony  already  presented,  it 
would  seem  to  be  impossible  to  draw  any  other  conclu- 
sion than  that  ano;els  are  inhabitants  of  the  "  summer- 
land,"  who  were  once  earth's  children,  clothed  in  flesh 
and  blood. 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  55 

How  glorious  the  truth  that  God  has  a  family  in 
heaven  and  upon  earth  !  —  Eph.  iii.  15. 

"  One  family,  we  dwell  in  Him, 

One  church  above  beneath, 
Though  now  divided  by  the  stream, — 

The  narrow  stream  of  death. 
One  army  of  the  living  God, 

To  liis  command  we  bow; 
Part  of  his  host  have  crossed  the  flood, 

And  part  are  crossing  now." 

Not  a  member  in  heaven  but  that  once  inhabited 
earth,  nor  a  member  on  earth  who  will  not  some  day 
go  to  help  make  up  the  family  in  heaven. 

"  There  are  little  feet  I  used  to  meet 
When  the  world  went  well  with  me, 
That  I  knoAv  will  bound  when  the  rippling  sound 
Of  my  boat  comes  over  the  sea." 

Paul  had  a  view  of  this  when  he  said,  — 
"  That  in  the  dispensation  of  the  fullness  of  times  he 
might  gather  together  in  one  all  things  in  Christy  both 
which  are  in  heaven,  and  which  are  on  earth." — Eph.  i.  10. 
We  will  now  advance  to  the  more  direct  biblical  evi- 
dences of  angel  ministry,  and  we  may  confess  here  that 
we  do  not  know  where  to  open  the  Bible ;  indeed,  it 
makes  but  little  difference  where  we  open  it.  So  re- 
plete is  that  book  with  the  doctrine  and  history  of  the 
ministry  of  angels,  that  it  would  be  hard  work  to  open 
to  the  wrong  page.  We  can  not  now  think  of  a  chapter 
that  does  not  in  some  way  include  that  doctrine.  Yet 
not  a  Bible  writer  has  ever  undertaken  to  prove  it ;  they 


56  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

have  always  referred  to  it  in  the  most  famihar  manner, 
as  thougli  it  were  impossible  that  any  one  should  ever 
have  thought  of  disputing  or  questioning  it.  No  writer 
in  the  Bible  has  ever  undertaken  to  prove  the  existence 
of  Deity.  Moses  commences  his  record  by  saying, 
"  In  tlie  beginning,  God  created  the  heavens  and  the 
earth  ; "  leaving  us  to  infer  his  existence  from  the  work 
he  does:  so  they  have  always  referred  to  angel  ministry 
in  the  same  wav.  Not  a  sino;le  occurrence  is  related 
as  tliough  the  wi'iter  supposed  he  was  telling  any  thing 
strange  or  new  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  every  mani- 
festation is  told  in  such  a  style,  with  such  an  air  of  open 
frankness,  that  one  would  suppose  that  the  writer  sup- 
posed such  occurrences  so  familiar,  that  one  would 
almost  as  soon  think  of  questioning  his  own  existence  as 
questioning  such  fiicts. 

Paul's  expression,  "  Are  they  not  all  ministering 
spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  for  them  who  shall  be  heirs 
of  salvation?"  (Heb.  i.  14,)  is  not  an  argument,  but 
rather  a  reference  to  a  universally-received  sentiment, 
that  not  a  part,  but  all  the  angels  are  ministering 
spirits.  Is  it  so  ?  Is  every  one  who  has  passed  to  the 
^'better  land"  an  angel?  and  are  all  the  angels  minis- 
tering spirits  ?  Then,  by  what  a  host  are  "  earth-born 
souls"  surrounded!  Paul  calls  it,  ^' A71  innumerable 
company  of  angels^  .  .  .  spirits  of  just  men  made  per- 
fect (Heb.  xii.  22,  23).  David  calls  the  host,  ''Many 
thousands  of  angels  "  (Ps.  Ixviii.  17,  margin').  Moses 
represents  these  many  thousand  angels  as  being  "  ten 
tliousand  saints"  (Deut.  xxxiii.  2).  Daniel  and  John 
each  saw  *•' ten  thousand  i'nws  ten  thousand  angels" 
(Dan.  vii.  10;  Rev.  v.  11).     Again:  John  saw  a  great 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  57 

company  of  angels,  '^  ^Yllich  no  man  could  number." 
These  were  redeemed  from  among  the  tribes  of  earth 
(Rev.  vii.  9-16).  An  illustration  of  the  number  of  an- 
gels which  may  surround  and  bless  each  individual  may 
be  found  in  the  words  of  Jesus,  "  Thinkest  thou  that  I 
can  not  now  pray  to  my  Father,  and  he  shall  presently 
give  me  more  than  twelve  legions  of  angels?  "  (Matt, 
xxvi.  53.)  The  Assyrian  army  numbered  more  than  one 
hundred  and  eighty-five  thousand  soldiers,  for  at  least 
there  were  that  many  awoke  one  morning  and  found 
themselves  all  dead  corpses  (2  Kings  xix.  35)  ;  yet 
Elislia  the  prophet  was  perfectly  confident  that  the  an- 
gels that  surrounded  him  would  outnumber  the  soldiers 
of  the  Assyrian  army  (2  Kings,  vi.  16). 

Our  views  upon  this  and  kindred  subjects,  differing 
as  they  do  from  those  called  "  orthodox,"  have  been  the 
cause  of  the  world  hailing  us  as  "infidel"  a  great  many 
times.  Now,  Ave  care  nothing  for  such  charges,  know- 
ing that  their  malignity  can  only  be  equaled  by  their 
falsity.  We  never  believed  so  much  of  the  Bible,  nor 
understood  it  so  well,  as  to-day ;  and,  though  we  are  a 
Spiritualist  from  the  crown  of  our  head  to  the  sole  of 
our  foot,  our  chief  trouble  with  the  Bible  has  been  its 
unqualified  indorsement  of  every  thing  spiritualistic. 
The  writers  of  the  Bible,  and  those  who  figured  most 
largely  in  biblical  history,  placed  entirely  too  much  con- 
fidence in  angel  ministry.  Not  oilly  did  they  depend 
upon  their  angel  friends  to  do  for  them  what  they 
ought  to  have  done  for  themselves,  but  they  often 
put  their  own  individaality  aside,  trusting  their  spirit- 
guides  to  do  their  tldnking  for  them.  The  word  with 
Israel's  greatest   men  was,  "  Go    and   inquire   of   the 


58  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

Lord."  One  of  her  greatest  kings  lost  his  Hfe  by  hig 
unswerving  fidelity  to  what  came  to  him  from  the 
spirit-world.  (See  1  Kings  xxii.  21-33.)  A  case 
in  point  may  be  found  in  Gen.  xxiv.  Abraham  had 
become  an  old  man,  and  knew  that  he  must  shortly  pass 
away  ;  of  course,  he  felt  a  degree  of  solicitude  about  his 
son's  marriaoe.  What  did  he  do  but  call  his  servant 
to  him,  and  make  him  swear  that  he  would  2:0  and  brinor 
his  son  a  wifc  from  the  land  of  Canaan,  assurino;  the 
servant  that  p,ri;^els  would  pick  her  out  ?  Hear  his  bene- 
diction as  bis  r;orvant  is  about  startino; :  "  The  Lord  God 
of  heaven,  -"vhich  took  me  from  my  father's  house,  and 
from  the  land  of  my  kindred,  and  which  spake  unto  me, 
and  that  swear  unto  me,  saying,  Unto  thy  seed  will  I 
give  this  land :  lie  shall  send  Ids  angel  before  thee,  and 
thou  shalt  take  a  wife  unto  my  sou  from  thence."  —  Gen. 
xxiv.  7. 

The  servant  pursues  his  journey,  consulting  angels  and 
getting  tests,  until,  by  a  series  of  unmistakable  signs, 
Rebekah  was  signified  as  the  one  to  be  Isaac's  wife. 
Like  a  good  girl,  she  goes  along  with  the  servant,  whom 
probably  she  had  never  seen  before,  to  marry  a  man 
whom  she  never  had  seen.  Lsaac  took  her  as  soon  as 
the  medium  brought  her  to  him,  and  went  with  her  to 
keeping  house  in  his  mother's  tent ;  and  with  one  little 
exception,  when  he  denied  her  (which  may  not  have 
been  from  a  lack  of  affinity,  but  from  a  hereditary  dis- 
ease, as  his  father  had  done  the  same  thing),  got  along 
smoothly  with  her  all  his  days. 

Now,  we  frankly  confess,  that,  as  much  of  a  Spiritual- 
ist as  we  are  to-day,  if  we  wanted  a  wife,  we  would  not 
take  her,  ""  sight  unseen,"  as  boys   trade  jack-knives, 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  59 

even  though  an  angel  did  pick  her  out.  We  would 
send  no  less  or  greater  a  personage  than  ourself  after 
her  every  time.  This,  dear  reader,  was  what  we  meant 
when  we  Intimated  that  Bible  people  relied  too  much 
on  the  an^el  world. 

To  give  the  history  of  angelic  manifestations  among 
the  Jews  would  be  to  record  their  entire  national  history. 
A  few  sketches  must  suffice  to  Illustrate  the  matter. 

Moses'  first  public  act  was  to  commit  a  murder.  The 
next  day  after  killing  an  Egyptian,  he  saw  two  of  his 
Hebrew  brethren  In  an  altercation,  and  strove,  as  a  good 
brother  should,  to  create  harmony ;  but  the  one  in  the 
fault  said,  — 

"Who  made  thee  a  prince  and  a  judge  over  us?  In- 
tendest  thou  to  kill  me,  as  thou  killedst  the  Egyptian  ?  " 
(Ex.  11. 14.)  The  old  proverb, "  Murder  will  out,"  proved 
true  In  this  case ;  and,  though  Moses  was  heir  to  the 
throne  of  Egypt,  he  w^as  compelled  to  flee  his  country 
for  his  life.  He  went  to  MIdlan,  and  fell  in  love  with 
the  daughter  of  a  Midianltish  priest,  and  married  her, 
and  engaged  to  act  as  shepherd,  to  take  charge  of  his 
father-in-law's  sheep.  He  took  the  sheep  up  Into  the 
mountains,  and  was  not  there  very  long,  until  his  atten- 
tion was  attracted  by  a  strange  light,  a  spirit-light^  such 
as  thousands  of  Spiritualists  have  seen.  He,  of  course, 
not  having  witnessed  ^uch  phenomena  before,  was  aston- 
ished to  see  such  a  fire  in  the  bush,  and  tlie  leaves  re- 
main 2:reen  :  so  he  turned  aside  to  investIo;ate  the  cause 
of  this  strange  manifestation,  when  he  discovered  that 
there  was  an  angel  In  the  bush.  By  this  time,  Moses 
became  clairaudlent,  and  the  angel  enters  Into  a  conver- 
sation with  him ;  finally,  the  whole  scene  winds  up  with 


60  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

sundry  physical  manifestations,  by  whicli  Moses  him- 
self becomes  convinced  of  his  medium-power.  —  See 
Ex.  iii.,  iv. 

From  this  time  forward,  not  a  move  was  made  toward 
the  deliverance  of  the  children  of  Israel,  but  that  was 
made  under  spirit-direction.  When  the  Hebrews  be- 
came  convinced  that  ano;els  would  so  with  them, 
and  lead  them  through  the  wilderness,  they  started, 
and  not  until  then.  The  ancvel  went  before  them, 
in  the  daytime  in  a  pillar  of  cloud,  and  at  night  in 
a  pillar  of  fire  (Ex.  xiii.  21,  xiv.  19,  20).  When 
they  failed  to  see  the  angel,  they  pitched  their  tents, 
and  tarried  until  they  had  a  new  spirit-manifesta- 
tion. The  spirii-world  seemed  determined  to  develop  a 
race  of  mediums :  thus  they  led  them  round  and  round 
through  the  mountainous  wilderness,  for  a  period  of 
fort?/  years^  to  make  a  journey  that  could  have  been 
accomplished  within  forty  days.  The  object  was  to  de- 
velop a  mediumship  through  which  they  could  take  the 
land  and  inherit  it. 

During  this  tedious  tarrying  in  the  wilderness,  they 
are  again  and  again  promised  assistance  from  the  angel- 
world,  and  urged  to  yield  the  most  strict  obedience  to 
their  spirit-guides.  One  instance  out  of  many  we  must 
record.  In  Ex.  xxiii.  20-23,  the  Jehovah  is  represented 
as  speaking  to  them  as  follows :  — 

"  Behold,  I  send  an  angel  before  thee,  to  keep  tliee 
in  the  way,  and  to  bring  thee  into  the  ])lace  which 
I  have  prepared.  Beware  of  him,  and  obey  his 
voice,  provoke  him  not ;  for  he  will  not  pardon  your 
transgressions :  for  my  name  is  in  him.  But  if 
thou   shalt   indeed   obey   his  voice,  and   do  all  that  I 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  61 

speak,  then  I  will  be  an  enemy  unto  thine  enemies, 
and  an  adversary  unto  thine  adversaries.  For  mine 
angel  shall  go  before  thee,  and  bring  thee  in  unto  the 
Amorites,  and  the  Hittites,  and  the  Perizzites,  and  the 
Canaanites,  the  Hivites,  and  the  Jebusites ;  and  I  will 

cut  them  off." 

Here  the  promise  is  very  positive,  "  Obey  the  voice 
of  the  angel,"  comply  with  the  conditions,  and  you 
shall  conquer  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  wdiere  you 
are  going.  Fail  in  obedience,  and  you  will  fail  to  get  pos- 
session. °  To  carry  these  promises  out,  when  Moses  gets 
so  old  he  is  no  longer  fit  to  lead  Israel,  he  ordains  Joshua 
to  the  work.  (See  Num.  xxvii.  18  ;  Dent,  xxxiv.  9.) 
They  cross  the  Jordan,  take  the  land,  and  conquer  the 
nations,  according  to  programme  ;  all  except  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  city  of  Jericho.  Of  it  the  historian  says, 
''  Now  the  city  of  Jericho  was  straitly  shut  up  because 
of  the  children  of  Israel ;  none  went  out,  and  none 
oame  in."  —  Josh.  vi.  1. 

Now  the  question  arises.  What  can  be  done?  Jericho 
was  surrounded  by  its  towering  w^alls,  and  Israel  had  no 
battering-rams  of  sufficient  power  to  batter  them  down, 
no  machinery  wnth  wdiich  to  throw  ''  shot  and  shell " 
over  the  walls.  How  will  they  take  the  city  ?  Joshua 
walked  out  one  day,  and  suddenly  became  clairvoyant, 
and  saw  a  7nan  with  a  sword  drawn  in  his  hand.  Joshua, 
supposing  this  man  to  be  one  yet  in  the  flesh,  says, 
'^  Art  thou  forus,  or  for  our  adversaries  ?  "—"Nay,"  says 
the  angel-man,  ''  but  as  captain  of  the  host  of  the  Lord 
am  I  now  come."  He  then  proceeds  to  give  Joshua 
the  conditions  upon  which  they  can  deliver  the  city  into 
Israel's  hands.     The  substance  of  the  conditions  is,  that 


62  THE  QUESTION   SEn  LED. 

a  circle  must  be  formed  around  the  city,  which  must  last 
seven  days :  the  implements  of  their  religion  must  be 
carried  with  them.  The  foct  Is,  the  atmosphere  must 
become  thoroughly  impregnated  with  the  magnetism  of 
that  mediumistic  nation  in  order  to  produce  a  tremendous 
physical  demonstration  of  spiritual  power.  The  pro- 
gramme was  carried  out,  the  people  formed  their  circle, 
marched  around  the  city,  raised  a  tremendous  shout,  and 
the  walls  fell.  Now,  we  ask.  What  brought  them  down  ? 
Did  the  people  shout  them  down  ?  No.  If  the  walls 
fell  at  all,  it  was  a  physical  manifestation  of  spirit- 
power.  How  strange  that  men  will  swallow  such 
stories  as  are  found  in  the  fifth  and  sixth  chapters  of 
Joshua,  and  that  without  the  slightest  evidence,  the 
record  aside,  that  they  are  true,  and  at  the  same  time 
utterly  refuse  to  believe  stories  not  a  hundredth  part  as 
large,  that  come  to  us  now  backed  by  a  hundred  times 
the  amount  of  testimony  !  However,  we  are  happy  to 
know  that  It  Is  only  in  religious  matters  that  people 
reject  common  sense.  Now,  there  is  not  a  particle  of 
evidence  that  these  things  ever  occurred  (the  evidence 
is  all  against  It),  yet  men  swallow  it  down  without  any 
scruples,  and  yet  deny  hundreds  of  well  authenticated 
proofs  that  manifestations,  the  same  in  kind^  though  not 
in  extent,  occur  every  day  in  their  own  country  and 
amono;  their  own  nelo-hbors. 

Had  we  the  space,  and  our  readers  the  patience,  to 
pursue  this  interesting  subject  in  extenso,  we  would  ex- 
amine every  so-called  miracle  in  the  Bible,  and  take  the 
miracle  out  of  it,  and  put  angel  ministry  in  its  place. 
But  time  Is  precious :  one  or  two  instances  must  suffice. 

We  have   often   heard  of  the  miracle  of  the  three 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  65 

young  Hebrews  being  thrown  into  a  furnace  of  fire, 
'*  made  one  seven  times  hotter  than  it  was  wont  to  be 
heated,"  and  comino;  out  without  a  hair  of  their  heads 
being  singed,  or  the  smell  of  fire  passing  on  their  gar- 
ments. The  fact  is,  Nebuchadnezzar  said  he  saw  four 
men  walking  loose  in  the  fire,  "  and  they  have  no  hurt  on 
them,  and  the  form  of  the  fourth  is  hke  the  Son  of  God" 
(Dan.  iii.  25).  It  was  a  son  of  God,  one  of  the  very 
sons  of  God  of  whom  Jesus  spoke  when  he  said,  — 

"  But  they  which  shall  be  accounted  worthy  to  obtain 
that  work],  and  the  resurrection  from  the  dead,  neither 
marry  nor  are  given  in  marriage,  neither  can  they  die 
any  more ;  for  they  are  equal  unto  the  angels,  cmcl  are 
children  of  Crod,  being  children  of  the  resurrection." 
—  Luke  XX.  35,  36. 

Nebuchadnezzar  afterwards,  instead  of  referrino;  to  this 
deliverance  as  a  miracle,  blessed  God,  "who  hath  sent 
his  angel,  and  delivered  his  servants."  —  Dan.  iii.  28. 

Now,  in  all  candor,  we  ask.  Why  not  ?  Who  has  not 
seen  jugglers  put  certain  chemicals  on  their  hands,  and 
thus  "  quench  the  violence  of  fire  "  ?  We  have.  But 
all  the  chemicals  used  by  these  men  are  in  the  earth 
and  its  surroundings.  May  there  not  be  chemists  on  the 
other  side  who  have  sufficient  power  to  extract  these 
elements,  and  envelop  their  mediums  in  a  tissue  of  them, 
so  refined,  that  heat  can  not  penetrate  it  ?  We  believe, 
yea,  we  know^  that,  under  favorable  conditions,  it  can  be 
done. 

Who  of  our  readers  has  not  seen  or  heard  of  Rev. 
J.  M.  Peebles,  editor  of  the  Western  Department  of 
"  The  Banner  of  LiMit  "  ?  We  remember,  when  we  were 
preaching  Adventism,  and    he    Spiritualism,  iu    Battle 


64  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

Creek,  Mich.,  to  liave  called  on  liim  one  morning,  (for 
we  confess  to  have  had  a  strano;e  likhio:  for  him,  even  when 
we  regarded  him  as  the  Devil's  agent.  We  thought, 
'•  What  a  pity  the  Devil  selects  the  best  material  in  this 
world  as  his  servants  !  ")  and  he  related  the  circumstance 
of  having  seen  a  man  play  with  fire  in  such  a  wondrous 
manner,  that  had  we  not  been  a  believer  in  the  Bible,  as 
well  as  in  the  veracity  and  intelligence  of  the  speaker, 
we  could  not  have  credited  it.  We  have  written  Mr. 
Peebles  to  give  us  the  circumstance.  His  response  is  so 
direct  and  pointed,  that  we  publish  it  entire. 


Hammondton,  N.J.,  March  31, 1869. 

Rev.  Moses  Hull. 

Dear  Friend^  —  Your  favor  of  March  11  lies  before 
me,  with  contents  noted.  I  cheerfully  comply  with  the 
request  to  furnish  you  a  brief  statement  of  a  remarka- 
ble spiritual  manifestation  witnessed  by  myself  through 
the  mediumship  of  Dr.  E.  C.  Dunn,  involving  a  seem- 
ing suspension  of  the  laws  connected  with  heat. 

These  are  the  main  facts : 

My  friend  Dr.  Dunn,  accompanying  me  several  years 
on  my  lecture  tours  as  a  healing  medium,  speaking  oc- 
casionally under  spirit-control,  was  often  entranced  in 
my  pi'esence.  Our  electric  atmospheres  naturally  inter- 
mingling, the  magnetic  sympathy  became  finally  so 
intensified,  that  a  portion  of  my  circle  of  spirits  could 
quite  easily  throw  the  doctor  into  an  unconscious  trance 
condition. 

One  of  these  spirit-guides  —  a  thinker  and  practical 
chemist  on  earth  —  was  Perasee  Lendanta,  living  in  the 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  65 

medieval  ages,  and  equally  conversant  with  the  Christian 
and  Neoplatonic  dogmas.  Whenever  he  entranced  tlie 
doctor,  I  expected  a  feast  of  reason  and  flow  of  sound 
thought. 

At  tlie  close  of  a  service  in  Battle  Creek,  Mich., 
on  a  Sunday  of  June,  1862,  inviting  and  even  urging 
the  doctor,  he  accompanied  me  home.  Soon,  while 
comfortably  sitting  in  my  library-room,  he  became  sud- 
denly entranced,  and,  during  the  entrancement,  this 
conversation^  with  tlie  manifestation,  followed ;  — 

"  Owing  to  the  good  conditions  to-day,"  said  the 
spirit,  "  I  was  enabled  to  approach  very  near  you  while 
lecturing;  thus  infusing  much  of  my  own  force  and 
thought  into  your  discourse." 

"  Thank  you.  I  felt  your  presence.  You  are  to  me 
like  a  wall  of  fire  and  a  shield  of  brass,  imparting  a 
stern,  positive,  independent  feeling." 

"  The  world  has  yet  to  learn  the  full  import  of  the 
terms  'individualism,'  '  self-rehance,'  'independence.' 
.  .  .  What  inquiries  to-day?  " 

"I  desire  to  ask  this  question;  Were  Shadrach,  IVIe- 
shach,  and  Abednego  cast  into  a  fiery  furnace,  coming 
out  with  not  a  hair  of  their  'heads  singed,'  nor  the 
'  smell  of  fire  '  upon  them  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir.     Was  not  there." 

"  Well,  do  you  believe  the  recorded  scriptural  ac- 
count?" 

"  Most  certainly,  I  do." 

"  Why  do  you  believe  it  ?  " 

"  In  the  first  place,  because  reasonable,  and,  in  the 
second  place,  because  the  same  and  even  more  remarka- 
ble things  may  be  done  in  the  present." 

6 


66  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

"  If  SO  (half  smiling,  half  doubting),  I  should  like  to 
see  a  slight  practical  illustration  of  your  position." 

"  If  you  have  a  large  kerosene-lamp  in  your  house, 
procure,  light,  and  place  it  before  this  medium,  with  the 
blaze  on,  high  as  it  will  bear." 

Securing  the  lamp,  and  placing  it  before  the  doctor 
in  full  blaze,  this  controlling  spirit  thrust  the  medium's 
hand  into  it,  holding  it  there  full  five  minutes  ;  the  flames 
streaming  up  between  the  fingers.  It  seemed  as  though 
it  must  be  burned  to  a  crisp.  Finally,  the  spirit-intelli- 
gence removing  it,  I  wiped  the  smoke  and  soot  from  the 
hand,  and  it  was  not  in  the  least  injured  by  the  fire. 
After  a  little  spasmodic  struggling,  as  usual,  the  medium 
became  conscious,  complaining  only  of  a  terrible  mag- 
netic pressure  upon  his  head.  This  soon  wore  away, 
when,  before  leavino;  the  room,  he  was  ao-ain  entranced. 

"  There !"  said  the  spirit,  "you  have  seen  a  man's 
hand  thrust  into  the  fire,  and  not  burned." 

"  Certainly,  I  have:  now  tell  me  how  you  did  it." 

"  Owino;  to  the  feebleness  of  the  Eno-lish  lanofuao-e  in 

O  CD  O  O 

the  line  of  metaphysics  and  spiritual  science,  this  would 
be  a  more  difficult  task  than  to  seemingly  destroy  the  law 
of  heat.  I  will  try.  Aided  by  others,  I  gathered  or 
accreted  fine,  etherealized  spirit-substances  from  sur- 
rounding spirit-space,  and,  polarizing  and  otherwise 
preparing  them,  constructed  a  sort  of  electric  coating 
or  coverino;,  windino;  it  close  around  the  medium's  hand. 
This  covering  was  just  as  impervious  to  heat  as  is  a 
pane  of  glass  to  the  beating  rain-drops.  Furthermore, 
I  could  envelop  this  whole  mortal  form  in  this  magnetic 
mantle ;  and,  so  long  as  I  could  maintain  the  requisite 
conditions,  the  body  would  not  be  injured  by  fire. 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  67 

*'  Something  very  similar  is  evidenced  in  tlie  case  of 
the  three  men  cast  into  the  fiery  fivrnace.  It  was  an 
ancient  spiritual  manifestation.  Your  Scriptures  say, 
'  Lo,  I  see  four  men  loose  walking  in  the  midst  of  the 
fire ;  .  .  .  and  the  form  of  the  fourth  is  like  the  Son  of 
God.'  This  'fourth,''  seen  hy  the  clairvoyant  eye,  was 
an  angel,  or  spiritual  being  that  once  inhabited  your  or 
some  other  earth  in  the  universe  of  the  infinite." 

This  circle  of  spirits  has  given  me  other  manifesta- 
tions more  wonderful  than  the  above,  paralleling  those 
of  biblical  times.  Thus  the  past  and  present  are  made 
to  unite  in  their  testimony  of  spirit  manifestation  and 
communion.  I  have  a  more  clear,  logical  faith  to-day  in 
those  visions,  dreams,  prophecies,  healiyigs,  trances,  and 
other  wonderful  manifestations  recorded  in  the  Jewish 
and  Christian  Scriptures,  than  wdien  wearing  my  clerical 
robes.  And  the  partially  ''hushed''  infidelity  of  Pres- 
byterian, Baptist,  Methodist,  Universalist,  and  Second- 
Advent  Christians,  is  to  me  absolutely  shocking.  By 
the  "grace  of  God,"  let  us.  Brother  Hull  (aided  by  the 
sweet  fellowship  of  angels),  continue  to  pray  and  to 
labor  for  the  enlightenment  and  salvation  of  those  Chris- 
tians whose  impudence  is  only  excelled  by  their  deplora- 
ble ignorance  of  natural  law,  spiritual  science,  and  the 
watchful  presence  of  God's  ministering  spirits. 

Most  truly  thine, 

J.  M.  Peebles. 

After  such  evidence,  from  such  a  source,  it  would  seem 
that  nothino;  further  is  necessary  ;  yet  w^e  find  it  hard  to 
resist  the  temptation  to  present  other  evidences. 

In   a  late  number  of  "  The  American  Spiritualist," 


68  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

we  find  a  lengthy  communication  from  A.  Goodman 
of  Columbus,  O.,  giving  the  history  of  the  mediumship 
of  Master  Frank  Goodman,  a  lad  of  eleven  summers. 
Mr.  Goodman  says, — 

"  Next  came  showing,  touching,  and  shaking  of  hands ; 
playing  on  guitar ;  and  raising  Frank  to  the  ceiling. 
All  this  was  done  in  daylight,  except  the  raising  of  the 
medium ;  that,  with  the  showing  of  phosphoric  lights, 
requiring  darkness.  Now,  in  conclusion,  I  will  only 
add  a  few  of  many  equally  wonderful  manifestations, 
given  since  our  return  to  this  place.  One  is  the  fire- 
test,  in  which  the  medium,  while  entranced,  handles  red- 
hot  coals,  without  the  slightest  injury ;  also  thrusts  his 
head  into  the  grate  among  the  flames,  without  a  hair 
being  singed.  Another  is  the  ring-test.  The  spirits 
having  made  the  request,  I  obtained  five  copper  rings, 
of  different  sizes,  which  Frank  keeps  with  other  articles 
in  a  small  tin  box.  One  day  recently,  while  out  on  the 
street,  all  these  rings  were  put  upon  his  arms  and  legs, 
under  all  his  clothing,  without  his  knowledge  :  and  he 
was  obliged  to  wear  them  for  a  week ;  for,  in  trying  to 
remove  one  of  them,  I  gave  him  so  much  pain,  that  I 
had  to  give  it  up.  They  were  taken  ofP  by  the  spirits 
as  quietly  as  they  were  put  on." 

The  writer  concludes  his  article  by  saying,  — 

''  Any  one  desiring  further  information  with  regard 
to  the  same  is  at  liberty  to  address  the  writer,  or  to  visit 
us  in  person." 

Will  our  skeptical  readers  avail  themselves  of  this 
privilege  ?  It  may  help  them  to  arrive  at  a  knowledge 
of  the  truth. 

A  London  correspondent  of  "  The  New- York  Times," 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  09 

in  speaking  of  Mr.  D.  D.   Home  and  his  niediumship, 

says,  — 
'''  He  was  carried  horizontally  out  of  a  window  in  the 

third  story  of  the  house  of  Lord ,  and  brought  in  at 

the  window  of  another  room,  some  thirty  feet  distant ; 
havino;  been  carried  through  the  air  forty  feet  or  more 
from  the  ground.     Finally,  he  has  on  several  occasions 
taken  a  large  live  coal  from  a  coal-fire,  held  it  in   his 
hand,  and  laid  it  in  the  hands  of  other  persons,  without 
even  the  smell  of  fire   or  the   sensation  of  heat  being 
perceived  by  them.     My  informant  showed  us  where  his 
own  finger  had  been  burnt  in  testing  the  value  of  this 
manifestation.     He  assured  me  that  he  had  seen  Mr. 
Home  go  to  a  large  coal-fire,  and  lay  his  face  upon  the 
white-hot  coals,  without  smgeing  his  hair  or  beard.     As 
this  is  a  pretty  strong  story,  I  beg  to  append  the  follow- 
ing, which  I  find  in  '  The  Spiritual  Magazine  '  for  this 
month.     Mr.  Hall  is  the  well-known  editor  of  '  The  Art 
Journal;'  his  wife,  Mrs.  S.  C.  Hall,  is  well  known  as 
a  writer,  and  has  lately  received  a  pension  from  the 
queen. 

15  Ashley  Place,  Victoria  Street,  S.W 

Sir,  —  I  state  facts  without  explanation  or  comment. 
On  the  27th  of  December,  I  was  sitting,  with  nine  other 
persons,  in  my  drawing-room.  Mr.  D.  D.  Home  left 
the  table,  went  to  a  bright  fire,  took  thence  a  lump  of 
living  coal,  brought  it  red  to  the  table,  and  placed  it 
on  my  head.  Not  a  hair  was  singed,  nor  did  I  sustam 
any  injury.  The  coal  remained  upon  my  head  about 
a  minute.  Mr.  Home  then  took  it,  and  placed  it  in 
Mrs.  Hall's  hand,  without  injury  to  her ;  and  he  after- 
wards placed  it  in  the  hands  of  two  of  our  guests.    The 


70  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

gas-light  and  two  candles  were  burning  in  the  loom.  1 
add  that  the  nine  other  persons  present  would  depose 
to  these  facts.     Your  obedient  servant, 

S.  C.  Hall. 

"  The  editor  adds  the  following  note  :  '  At  the  confer- 
ence at  Lawson's  Rooms,  Jan.  14,  Mr.  H.  D.  Jenckin 
publicly  stated  the  facts  here  given  by  Mr.  Hall,  and 
added  several  instances  of  the  Idnd  which  he  had 
witnessed.  The  fire-test,  he  said,  had  now  been  seen 
by  more  than  fifty  persons  in  the  metropolis  and  its 
neicrhborhood.'  " 

Epes  Sargent,  in  his  "  Despair  of  Science,"  says,  — 

"  At  a  seance  in  London,  in  1860,  in  the  presence  of 
several  persons  (whose  names  are  at  the  service  of  the 
curious),  Mr.  Home,  being  entranced,  did,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  all,  lay  his  head  on  the  burning  coals ;  where  it 
remained  several  moments,  he  sustaining  no  injury :  not 
a  hair  of  his  head  was  singed."  —  Pp.  97,  98. 

We  have  already  referred  to  the  so-caJled  miracle  of 
the  deliverance  of  Daniel  from  the  hunm-y  lions ;  but 
it  was  only  a  physical  manifestation  of  spirit-power. 
Daniel  says,  — 

"  My  God  hath  sent  his  angel,  and  hath  shut  the 
lions'  mouths,  that  they  have  not  hurt  me  ;  forasmuch 
as  before  him  innocency  was  found  in  me  ;  and  also 
before  thee,  O  king,  have  I  done  no  hurt."  —  Dun.  vi.  22. 

While  we  have  strong  confidence  in  prayer,  fully 
believing  that  prayers  are  heard  and  answered,*  we  do 
not  believe  that  God  has  any  other  way  of  answering 
prayer  but  by  virtue  of  angel  ministry.  It  was  an 
angel  that  administered  to  Jesus  in  the  Garden  of  Geth* 


TilE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  71 

semane,  wlicn,  in  tlic  bitterness  of  liis  soul,  lie  prayed, 
''Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  me" 
(Luke  xxii.  43).     He  could  pray  to  his  Father,  and,  as  a 
result,  have  more  than  twelve  legions  of  angels  to  assist 
him  (Matt.  xxvi.  53).    It  was  in  answer  to  prayer,  that 
the  angel  came  to  Cornelius  (Acts   x.  1).     In  Daniel, 
chapters  ix.  and  x.,  we  have  a  very  full  history  of  the 
prophet's  three  weeks'  prayer  and  fasting.     At  the  end 
of  this  time,  "a  certain  man  clothed  in    linen,"  whom 
Daniel    describes    very    minutely,   came   to  him ;   spirit 
hands  touched  him  ;  "  one  like  the  similitude  of  the  sons 
of  men"  opened  his  mouth,  and  enabled  him  to  speak. 
There  w^ere  other  parties  with  Daniel,  who  were  not  suf- 
ficiently developed  to  see  ;   yet  "  great  quaking  fell  upon 
them."      This  man,  or  angel,  that  came  to  Daniel,  in- 
formed him  that  his  prayers  were  heard  long  ago ;  but 
the   prince    of  the    kingdom    of  Persia  withstood  him 
twenty-one  days,  that  is,  just  three  weeks,  exactly  the 
length  of  time  Daniel  was  praying  (compare  verses  2,  3, 
with  12,  13,  of  Dan.  x.)  ;  after  which,  says  the  angel, 
"  Michael,  one  of  the  chief  princes,  came  to  help  me." 
This   Prince  Michael  is  prince  among  the  angels  (see 
Jude  9  ;  Dan.  ix.  21).     The  two,  Michael  and  this  other 
ano-el-man,  succeeded  in  working  upon  the  prince  of  the 
kino-dom  of  Persia;    so  that  Daniel's  prayer  was  an- 
swered.      The  emancipation  proclamation  was  written 
and  sent  out  by  the  prince  of  the  kingdom  of  Persia, 
and  Israel  was  again  free. 

A  very  important  case  of  the  answer  to  prayer  by 
angels  is  found  in  Acts  xii.  4-16.  The  case  is  so  in- 
teresting, we  give  it  entire. 

"  And,  when  he  had  apprehended  him,  he  put  him 


72  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

in  prison,  and  delivered  liim  to  four  quaternlona  of  sol 
diers  to  keep  him  ;  intending,  after  Easter,  to  bring  him 
fortli  to  the  people.  Peter,  therefore,  was  kept  in  prison  ; 
but  prayer  was  made  without  ceasing  of  the  church 
unto  God  for  him.  And  when  Herod  would  have 
brought  him  forth,  the  same  night  Peter  was  sleeping 
between  two  soldiers,  bound  with  two  chains  :  and  the 
keepers  before  the  door  kept  the  prison.  And,  behold, 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  came  upon  him,  and  a  light  sinned 
in  the  prison ;  and  he  smote  Peter  on  the  side,  and 
raised  him  up,  saying.  Arise  up  quickly.  And  his  chains 
fell  off  from  his  hands.  And  the  ahgel  said  unto  him. 
Gird  thyself,  and  bind  on  thy  sandals  ;  and  so  he  did. 
And  he  saith  unto  him.  Cast  thy  garment  about  thee, 
and  follow  me.  And  he  went  out,  and  followed  him, 
and  wist  not  that  it  was  true  which  was  done  by  the 
angel  ;  but  thought  he  saw  a  vision.  When  they 
were  past  the  first  and  the  second  ward,  they  came  unto 
the  iron  gate  that  leadeth  unto  the  city,  which  opened 
to  them  of  his  own  accord ;  and  they  went  out,  and 
passed  on  through  one  street ;  and  forthwith  the  angel 
departed  from  him.  And  when  Peter  was  come  to  him- 
self, he  said.  Now  I  know  of  a  suretj^,  that  the  Lord 
hath  sent  his  angel,  and  hath  delivered  me  out  of  the 
hand  of  Herod,  and  from  all  the  expectation  of  the  peo- 
ple of  the  Jews.  And  when  he  had  considered  the  thino-, 
he  came  to  the  house  of  Mary  the  mother  of  John, 
whose  surname  was  Mark,  where  many  were  gathered 
together  praying.  And  as  Peter  knocked  at  the  door 
of  the  gate,  a  damsel  came  to  hearken,  named  Rhoda. 
And  when  she  knew  Peter's  voice,  she  opened  not  the 
gate  for  gladness,  but  ran  in,  and  told  how  Peter  stood 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  I'd 

before  the  gate.  And  they  said  unto  lier,  Thou  art 
mad.  But  slic  constantly  affirmed  that  it  was  even  so. 
Then  said  they,  It  is  his  angeL  But  Peter  >-ontinued 
knocking :  and  when  they  had  opened  the  doo" ,  and  saw 
him,  they  were  astonished." 

A  similar  case  is  found  in  Acts  v.  19-2G.  We  can 
not  take  up  any  sentence  of  this  lengthy  parngraph  and 
elucidate  it.  We  see  nothino:  inconsistent  or  miracu- 
lous  in  the  transaction.  The  soldiers  were,  doubtless, 
thrown  into  a  sound  magnetic  sleep.  The  light  which 
shone  in  the  prison  was  a  spirit-light,  such  as  our  own 
eyes  have  beheld  on  several  occasions.  The  doors  did 
not,  as  Peter  supposed,  open  of  their  own  accord  :  Peter 
was  not  sufficiently  clairvoyant  to  see  the  angel  who  un 
locked  them,  and  swuno-  them  back  on  their  hinges* 
How  natural  that  he  should  go  to  the  house  of  Mary  I 
there  was  a  magnet  there  ;  there  it  was  that  his  bretli- 
ren  were  assembled  for  prayers,  and  angels  were  col- 
lected. When  the  "  raps  "  were  heard  at  the  door, 
how  natural  that  little  Rhoda  should  be  the  one  who 
should  open  it,  and,  in  her  joy  exclaim,  "  It's  Peter,  it's 
Peter!  "  But  the  church  had  not  witnessed  enouo-h  of 
the  phenomena  to  be  fully  convinced  :  so  their  first  con- 
clusion was,  "  The  damsel  is  mad,"  the  girl  is  insane. 
Soon,  however,  they  change  their  mind,  and  conclude 
that  the  raps  are  only  spirit-raps  :  hence  they  assert,  "  It 
is  his  angel." 

Now,  we  are  frank  to  acknowledo-e  that  we  believe 
the  whole  circumstance.  We  have  seen  things  so  simi- 
lar, that  we  should  be  untrue  to  ourself  to  deny  this. 
The  same  law  which  produces  such  things  now  could 
have  produced  them  then. 


74  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

Mr.  Rand  and  tlie  Davenport  brothers  were  once 
imprisoned  in  the  common  jail  of  the  city  of  Oswego, 
N.Y.,  for  the  crime  of  demonstrating  immortahty,  with- 
out taking  out  a  juggler's  license.  Mr.  Rand  himself  tells 
the  story  of  his  release ;  from  it  we  extract  the  follow- 
ing:— 

''  They  were  informed  by  the  spirits  that  the  prison- 
doors  would  be  opened  before  their  time  expired ;  and, 
in  the  evening  previous  to  its  expiration,  a  voice  spoke 
in  the  room,  and  said  that  I  was  to  go  out  that  night. 
I  was  told  to  put  on  my  coat  and  hat,  and  be  ready.  It 
was  oppressively  warm  in  our  small  room,  with  the  win- 
dow and  door  both  closed ;  and  I  asked  if  I  could  be 
allowed  to  sit  with  my  coat  off,  as  I  did  not  expect  we 
should  be  released  for  more  than  an  hour  ;  but  the  an- 
swer was,  '  Put  on  thy  coat  and  hat.  Be  ready.'  I  did 
so,  not  even  then  supposing  we  should  be  released  until 
the  jailer  and  his  family  had  retired,  and  all  might  be 
still  without.  But  I  was  disappointed.  Immediately, 
not  probably  twenty  minutes  from  the  time  we  were 
locked  up,  the  door  was  tlirown  open  ;  and  the  voice 
again  spoke,  and  said,  '  Now  go  quickly.  Take  witli 
you  the  rope  (for  a  rope  had  been  in  our  room,  which 
had  been  used  for  another  purpose  in  our  former  room, 
as  we  have  previously  said),  go  to  yonder  garret-win- 
dow, and  let  thyself  down,  and  flee  from  this  place. 
We  will  take  care  of  the  boys.  There  are  many  an- 
gels present,  though  but  one  speaks.'  I  hastily  passed 
on,  and  strictly  obeyed  the  angel.  The  boys  came  out 
with  me  into  the  hall,  took  up  the  lock  which  lay  upon 
the  floor,  and  for  the  first  time  examined  it :  sp(»ke  of 
its  being  warm.     The  angel  told  them,  as  they  subse- 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  75 

quently  informed  me,  to  go  into  the  room  again  ;  and  tlic 
door  was  closed  and  locked  again  by  the  angel,  and 
they  were  to  remain  there  for  the  night." — History  of 
Davenports^  hy  Rev.  Orriyi  Abbott^  p.  70. 

The  above  case  we  have  investigated  qnite  thorouoh- 
ly.  We  know,  that,  so  far  as  hnman  testimony  is  con- 
cerned, its  truth  is  established  beyond  a  reasonable  doubt. 
Other  cases  of  the  same  kind  have  occurred  within  our 
knowledge  ;  th^i,  why  should  we  deny  such  things  when 
found  in  the  Bible  ? 

Now,  shall  we  say  we  believe  in  angel  ministry? 
We  can  not.  Taking  all  these  biblical  evidences,  to- 
gether with  the  modern  phenomena,  including  what 
our  eyes  have  seen  and  our  ears  have  heard,  we  can 
not  believe,  we  hiow.,  "  angels  are  ministering  spirits." 

"  They  come,  and  night  is  no  more  night, 
Pale  sorrow's  rei2i;n  is  o'er : 
And  death  is  but  the  gate  of  light, 
And  gloomy  now  no  more." 

We  have  been  too  often  blessed,  advised,  protected, 
defended,  delivered,  and  saved  by  them,  to  entertain 
doubts  on  the  subject.  We  know  the  angels  have 
taken  us  out  of  the  hands  of  ferocious  mobs.  We 
know  that  they  are  always  present,  that  the  thoughts 
we  now  pen  are  influxes  from  the  spirit-world.  Angels 
are  even  now  in  the  room. 


"  How  cheering  the  thought  that  the  spirits  in  bhss 
Do  bow  their  bright  wings  to  a  world  such  as  this, 
Do  leave  their  bright  home  in  the  mansions  above 
To  breathe  o'er  our  spirits  some  message  of  love  1  ** 


76  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

Dear  reader,  would  you  hwio  of  tliis  divine  commuii' 
ion  ?  Would  you  enjoy  tlic  society  of  an  angel  brother- 
hood ?  Would  you  be  led  in  green  pastures,  beside  the 
still  waters  ?  Would  you  drink  from  the  nevcr-faLling 
fountain  of  inspiration  ?  Then  place  yourself  in  a  con- 
dition where  you  can  enjoy  communion  with  your  "  elder 
brethren."  It  Avill  open  to  your  soul  fountains  of  hap- 
piness the  world  can  know  nothing  of.  That  readers 
and  writer  may  ever  be  led  hito  the  paths  of  truth  and 
righteousness,  and  be  accounted  worthy,  even  (hmng 
this  life,  to  associate  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  angel- 
world,  is  our  most  devout  and  humble  prayer. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THE    THREE    PILLARS    OF    SPIRITUALISM. 

Spiritual  Platform  —  Three  Propositions  —  Man  has  a  Spiritual  Nature  —  Spirit 
not  immaterial  —  Spiritual  Man  —  Source  of  Evidence  — Biblical  Testimony 

—  Elihu  —  Zephaniah  —  Papal  Decree  —  Hard  Questions  —  Cannot  answer 
all — Spiritual  Senses  —  Blind  and  Deaf  Man  —  Illustration  —  Man  Double  — 
Two  Fathers  —  Two  Sources  of  Knowledge  —  Peter  awakened — Two  Con- 
tradictory Histories  of  Jesus  —  Both  true  —  Jesus  did  not  always  believe 
his  own  Prophecies  —  Somnambulism  an  Important  Witness — Author's 
Case  —  A  Lady  and  the  Fins  Arts  —  Dr.  Slade  and  Spirit  Pictures  —  The 
modus  opercmdl — Psychometry  —  Discourses  read  from  the  Hand,  the 
Walls  of  the  House,  &c.  —  Paul's  Case  —  Outward  and  Inward  Man  —  One 
perishes,  the  other  endures  —  Modern  Facts  —  Apparitions  of  the  Living  — 
Mrs.  Hauffe  — Lady  in  Albany  —  Apparition  at  St.  Louis  —  Hiram  Dayton 
badly  mixed  —  His  Father  appears  —  Case  in  New  Orleans  —  Drowning  Per- 
sons—  Spirit  continues  after  the  Death  of  the  Body  —  Spirit  a  Conscious 
Entity  —  Spirits  in  Prison  —  Gospel  preached  to  the  Dead  —  Spirits  return 

—  Modern  Spiritualism  a  Repetition  of  that  of  the  Bible  —  Samuel  and  Saul 

—  No  Devil  or  Witch  in  the  Case  —  Josephus's  Testimony  —  Character  of 
the  Woman  —  Moses  and  Elias  —  "  Only  a  Vision  "  —  Various  Phases  of  Mani- 
festation —  Cliild  Medium  — Written  Communication  from  Elijah  the  Proph- 
et —  Belshazzar's  Palace  Wall  —  Elias  must  come  —  John  the  Baptist  a 
Medium — This  was  Elias  —  "He  hath  a  Devil"  —  Ezekiel's  Mediumship 

—  Saul  a  Medium  —  An  Evil  Spirit  visits  him  —  Modern  Evidences  —  Dr. 
Johnson's  Testimony  —  Vision  of  a  French  Marquis  —  Prediction  f  ulfiUed  - 
Testimony  Conclusive. 

PERHAPS  we  have  pursued  our  investigation  far 
enough  to  hand  to  our  readers  a  2^^<^tform  upon 
which  Spirituahsm  rests.  As  we  now  have  the  "  ball  " 
fairly  opened,  we  may  as  well  proceed  to  lay  down  a 
digest  of  some  of  the  main  evidences  of  Spiritualism, 
more  especially  those  upon  which  we  as  an  individual 

predicate  our  faith. 

77 


78  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

Tlie  "  lioly  trinity  "  upon  which  Spiritualism  is  built, 
with  which  it  stands  or  falls,  and  which  must  be 
attacked  by  opponents  who  would  inaugurate  an  hon- 
orable warfare  upon  it,  can  be  represented  in  the  fol- 
lowino;  sentences :  — 

1.  Man  has  a  spiritual  nature. 

2.  Tliat  spiritual  nature  exists  and  retains  its  con- 
sciousness after  the  dissolution  of  the  hody. 

3.  That  spiritual  nature^  after  it  leaves  the  hody^  can 
come  en  rapport  with  and  communicate  to  those  yet  ir.  the 
flesh. 

All  must  see  that  with  these  propositions  Spiritualism 
meets  its  fate.  Take  any  one  of  them  fairly  away  from 
Spiritualism,  and  upon  its  banners  you  write,  "  Thou 
art  weiohed  in  a  balance  and  found  wantino."  On  the 
other  hand,  with  the  sustaining  of  this  trinity.  Spirit- 
ualism becomes  a  tri-U7iity,  a  "  threefold  cord,"  which 
a  wise  man  has  said  "  is  not  easily  broken."  With  the 
sustaining  of  these  three  propositions.  Spiritualism  be- 
comes a  citadel  of  strength,  so  fortified  that  its  enemies 
can  do  but  little  more  than  to  pick  at  its  microscopic 
crudities  and  irregularities.  Then  let  us  turn  our 
attention  at  once  to  their  proof. 

Man  has  a  Spiritual  Nature, 

By  this  })i-oposition  we  do  not  mean  that  man  has  an 
immaterial  nature.  The  word  "  immaterial "  has  so  lono; 
been  connected  with  "spiritual,"  that  the  world  has  come 
to  consider  them  synonymous.  Yet  one  stands  opposed 
to  animal;  while  the  other  can  be  better  represented  by 
the  word  "  nothing  "  than  any  other  in  the  English  Ian- 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  79 

guagc.  That  which  is  material  is  sometlii'ig;  tliat  which 
is  the  opposite  of  material  is  zmmaterial ;  that  v.'hich  is 
the  opposite  of  something  is  nothing :  hence  that  ivldch 
is  immaterial  is  nothing.  This  being  true,  those  who 
take  the  position  that  spirit  is  immaterial  deny  its 
existence. 

By  the  term  "spiritual"  we  mean  what  tlicT  ancient 
Greeks  meant  by  the  term  j^neumatiJwn ;  that  is,  not 
animal,  not  corporeal,  a  nature  not  comprehended 
through  the  external  organs  of  sense. 

As  we  hold  to  no  theory  but  that  we  can  prove,  eitlier 
with  or  without  the  Bible,  we  will  on  this  subject  draw 
our  first  proofs  from  that  book ;  not  that  they  are  true 
because  they  are  in  the  Bible,  but  they  are  there  be- 
cause those  who  placed  them  there  regarded  tliem  as 
true.  There  are  thousands  in  the  world  to-day  who 
would  not  dare  to  say  their  souls  Avere  their  own,  unless 
their  Bible  told  them  so  ;  who  would  only  require  one 
"  Thus  saitli  the  Scripture,"  to  convince  them  that  a 
man  was  older  than  his  father;  that  the  sun  stood  still 
about  twelve  hours  while  a  Hebrew  general  marched 
his  army  several  hundred  miles,  and  fought  six  battles ; 
that  a  man  caucrht  three  hundred  foxes,  and  turned 
tail  to  tail,  and  tied  firebrands  between  them,  and  l)y 
that  means  burned  down  thovisands  of  acres  of  his 
neighbor's  green  corn  ;  that  a  whale  got  down  into  the 
Mediterranean  Sea  and  swallowed  a  man  ;  that  after  a 
three-days  residence  in  the  stomach  of  a  great  fish,  dur- 
ing which  time  Jonah  graduated,  and  prepared  for  the 
ministry,  he  entered  unharmed  upon  his  calling,  went 
as  a  missionary  to  Nineveh,  and  proved  himself  divinely 
called,  by  uttering  predictions  which  never  were  fulfilled 


80  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

that  fire  refused  to  burn  certain  Jews ;  and  tliat  sun- 
dry miracles  were  wrought  by  the  Man  of  Nazareth  on 
purpose  to  convince  the  people  of  his  divinity,  and  yet 
the  divine  decree  had  gone  forth,  that,  "  seeing,  they 
should  see  and  not  perceive,  and,  hearing,  they  should 
hear  and  not  understand."  For  the  benefit  of  such,  we 
\vill  first  exhibit  a  sample  of  the  biblical  evidences  that 
man  has  a  spiritual  nature. 

The  prophet  Elihu  has  introduced  this  subject  in  the 
followino;  unmistakable  lano;uao;e  :  — 

"  There  is  a  spirit  in  man ;  and  the  inspiration  of  the 
Almighty  giveth  them  understanding."  —  Job  xxxii.  8. 

A  more  positive  declaration  of  spiritualistic  faith  could 
not  be  made  by  the  most  sanguine  Spiritualist ;  nor 
is  this  an  isolated  proof  of  this  position.  The  Bible 
abounds  in  declarations  as  positive  as  the  above.  Zecha- 
riah,  another  of  Israel's  prophets,  said, — 

"  The  Lord  .  .  .  formeth  the  spirit  of  man  v/ithin 
him."  —  Zech.  xii.  1. 

In  this  declaration,  we  not  only  have  the  assertion 
that  man  has  a  spirit,  but  that  it  \s>  formed^  shaped. 

Pope  Leo  X.  decreed  that  "  the  spirit  is  the  same  form 
as  the  body."  We  do  not  doubt  that  this  decree  of  the 
infallible  head  of  the  Church  is  true,  not,  however,  be- 
cause it  was  decreed,  any  more  than  the  rising  of  the 
sun  to-morrow  mornino*  would  be  the  result  of  a  decree 
of  his  papal  Majesty. 

When  we  get  thus  far  witV  our  subject,  we  know  that 
some  of  our  readers  who  do  not  comprehend  spiritual 
things  are  ready  with  a  legion  of  questions  concerning 
man's  spiritual  nature.  May  we  confess  right  here,  tliat, 
probably,  we  can   not  answer  your  questions?      That, 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  81 

liowevor,  neither  proves  our  theory  untrue,  nor  o.ir  in- 
competency to  rationally  reason  upon  it.     Paul  says,  — 

"  But  the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of 
the  Spirit  of  God ;  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him : 
neither  can  he  know  tliem,  because  they  are  spiritually 
discerned.  But  he  that  is  spiritual  judgeth  all  things  ; 
yet  he  himself  is  judged  of  no  man."  —  1  Cor.  ii.  14, 15. 

From  this  we  learn  that  it  is  impossible  for  him  whose 
spiritual  faculties  have  not  been  aroused  to  understand 
spiritual  things.  "  Neither  can  he  hnoio  tJiem.^'  Then, 
why  should  we  try  to  make  him  comprehend  them  ? 
While  we  can  not  explain  spiritual  things  to  the  "  natu- 
ral man  "  (and  the  spiritual  man  needs  no  explanation : 
he  gets  his  knowledge  of  these  things  by  intuition,  not 
by  tuition),  we  may  be  able  to  call  his  attention  to 
phenomenal  evidences  which  may  convince  him,  that, 
though  he  can  not  understand  them,  they  may,  never- 
theless, be  true.  We  can  not  explain  how  light  passes 
through  a  pane  of  glass  without  either  glass  or  light  be- 
ing disorganized,  yet  we  can  any  day,  and  in  any  house, 
point  to  such  phenomena.  We  can  not  make  the  man 
who  was  born  without  eyes  understand  the  difference 
between  red,  white,  and  blue ;  yet  we  can  make  him 
know  that  we  see  a  difference  which  is  not  tangible  to 
his  senses.  Discourse  sweetest  music  to  a  totally  deaf 
man,  until  the  last  hair  on  your  head  turns  gray,  and 
you  can  not  make  him  comprehend  that  there  is  an  inter- 
val of  a  fifth  between  C  and  G. 

We  said,  and  have  set  out  to  prove,  that  man  has  a 
spiritual  nature.  We  now  assert  that  man  is  double ; 
he  has  a  duplex  entity.  If  Paul  understood  this  ques- 
tion, we  all  have  two  fathers.     His  language  is,  — 


82  THE  QUESTION   SETTLED. 

"  Furtliermore,  we  liave  had  ftitlicrs  of  our  flesli, 
which  corrected  us ;  and  we  gave  them  reverence  :  shall 
we  not  much  rather  be  in  subjection  to  the  Father  of 
sjiirits,  and  live  ?  "  —  Heb.  xii.   9. 

This  passage  deserves  more  than  a  cursory  notice. 
Paul  says,  "  We  have  had  fathers  (plural)  of  our 
flesh  ;  and  we  gave  them  (plural)  reverence :  shall  we 
not  much  rather  be  in  subjection  to  the  Father  (singu- 
lar) of  spirits  (plural),  and  live  ?  "  By  this  we  see  that 
though  there  may  be  as  many  fathers  of  the  flesli  of 
our  readers  as  there  are  readers,  yet  their  spirits  all 
have  the  same  father.  This  father  is  God,  who  is  a 
spirit.  —  John  iv.  24  ;  Acts  xvii.  29. 

Man,  having  two  fathers,  might  reasonably  be  expect- 
ed to  have  two  natures,  sometimes  called  two  men  (see 
2  Cor.  iv.  16).  There  are  two  sources  whence  men 
get  knowledge.  Some  things  we  learn  by  aid  of  our 
five  senses ;  some  things  we  know  independent  of  the 
organs  of  sense. 

Jesus  once  said  to  Peter,  "  that  he  must  go  to  Jeru- 
salem, and  suffer  many  things  of  the  elders,  chief  priests, 
and  scribes,  and  be  killed."  But  Peter  did  not  beheve 
it.  He  rebuked  his  Master,  and  said,  "  Be  it  far  from 
thee,  Lord  :  this  shall  not  be  unto  thee."  Whereupon, 
Jesus  says,  "  Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan :  thou  art  an 
offense  unto  me ;  for  thou  savorest  not  the  things  that 
be  of  God,  but  those  that  be  of  men."  —  See  Matt.  xvi. 
21-23. 

What  other  idea  can  any  one  glean  from  this  than 
that  Peter  was  not  in  a  spiritual  condition  ?  he  could 
understand  the  things  that  came  to  his  fleshly  senses 
from  flesh  and  blood ;  other  things  he  could  not  under- 


THE  QUESTION  SETTLED.  83 

stand.  But  Peter's  spiritual  senses  are  not  always 
asleep.  On  anotlier  occasion,  Jesus  asks  him,  "Whom 
do  men  say  that  I  the  Son  of  man  am  ?  "  Peter  an- 
swered, "  Some  say  that  thou  art  John  the  Baptist ; 
some,  Elias  ;  and  others,  Jeremias,  or  one  of  the  proph- 
ets." Then  Jesus  put  the  question  directly  to  his 
disciples,  "  Whom  do  ye  say  that  I  am  ?  "  Peter  says, 
"  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  son  of  the  living  God." 
Jesus  responds,  "  Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar-j(ma ; 
for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  this  to  thee^  but  my 
Father  which  is  in  heaven."  —  Matt.  xvi.  13-17. 

Who  wonders  that  Jesus  calls  him  blessed  ?  He  was 
in  a  condition  where  he  was  receiving  knowledge  inde- 
pendent of  fleshly  organs.  He  w^as  not  indebted  even 
to  his  own  fleshly  eyes  and  ears  for  that  revelation. 

The  two  paragraplis  above  quoted  show  very  plainly 
that  at  one  time  Peter  w^as  in  a  condition  that  he  was 
not  in  at  another.  Once  he  "  savored  not  the  things 
of  God  ;  "  at  anotlier  time  was  receiving  knowdedge 
not  from  flesh  and  blood,  but  directly  from  the  Father 
in  heaven.  Such  is  the  history  of  all  spiritually-minded 
persons ;  sometimes  they  seem  so  infilled  with  the  spirit 
that  all  space  and  time  are  annihilated.  The  past  is 
brought  up  wdtli  peculiar  distinctness,  and  "coming 
events  cast  their  shadows  before."  They  see  through 
solid  walls,  and  at  a  distance,  the  same  as  though  there 
was  nothino;  to  obstruct  the  vision.  At  other  times,  the 
animal  man  holds  the  dominion,  and  they,  the  same  as 
others,  view  events  from  a  material  standpoint.  At 
such  times,  they  not  unfrequently  disbelieve  what  their 
ow^n  spiritual  senses  have  told  them ;  and  many  dispute 
what  they,  in  the  moments   of  their   illumination,   so 


84  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

clearly  saw,  that  tliey  could  have  pledged  their  own 
existence  on  its  reality.  It  was  so  with  Jesus :  at 
times,  his  spirit  seemed  to  reach  out  and  grasp  the 
future,  so  that  he  could  say,  "  The  Son  of  man  shall 
be  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  men,  and  be  crucified." 
At  other  times,  he-  did  not  believe  his  own  predic- 
tions, and  he  would  promise  his  disciples  that  they 
should  have  a  hundred  times  the  amount  of  real  estate 
in  this  world,  for  following  him,  that  they  could  get 
by  any  other  means ;  that  they  should  sit  on  twelve 
thrones,  judging  the  tAvelve  tribes  of  Israel ;  that  they 
should  not  taste  of  death  till  they  should  see  his  king- 
dom established  with  power.  He  even  went  so  far  on 
one  occasion  as  to  take  the  kingdom  by  violent  force ; 
but  he  saw  his  mistake  afterward,  and  wept  over  it.  — 
See  Mark  x.  29,  30 ;  Matt.  xix.  28,  xvi.  28,  xxi.  9-13, 
xxiii.  37-39. 

Somnambulism  is  an  important  witness  to  the  double 
entity  of  man.  Its  facts  are  so  patent,  that,  perhaps, 
there  is  not  one  Avho  will  read  this  volume  who  will  not 
remember  having  heard  of  persons  getting  up  m  their 
sleep,  and  performing  wonderful  feats  of  physical  or 
mental  strength.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  we 
were  employed  to  carry  shingles  upon  a  three-story 
brick  house ;  and  several  persons  now  living  will  testify, 
that,  after  the  first  day's  work,  we  got  up  in  our  sleep 
in  the  ni^it  and  took  a  bunch  of  white-wood  shingles, 
perhaps  five  hundred,  and  carried  them  up  on  the 
house.  Half  of  the  number  would  have  been  more 
than  we  could  have  carried  in  our  normal  condition. 
When  told  of  it  the  next  morning,  though  we  had 
been  in  the  habit  of  sleep-walking  ever  since  we  were 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  85 

three  years  old,  we  could  hardly  believe  the  report  of 
the  witnesses ;  and  we  have  never,  from  that  day  to 
this,  been  able  to  gather  the  faintest  recollection  of 
even  dreaming  of  carrying  shingles  that  night. 

We  remember  to  have  read  somewhere  of  a  lady 
gettmg  up  in  her  sleep,  and.  In  that  condition,  painting 
a  picture,  which,  as  a  work  of  art,  could  not  be  excelled 
by  the  best  artists  In  Europe.  This  lady  Avas  surprised, 
when  admiring  the  painting  the  next  day,  to  learn  that 
slie  herself  was  its  author ;  that  she  had  done  in  a  few 
hours,  in  a  state  of  sound  sleep,  what  she  could  by  no 
possibility  accomplish  In  her  Avaldng  hours. 

We  know  that  Dr.  Henry  Slade  of  Jackson,  Mich., 
when  in  an  unconscious  magnetic  trance,  has.  In  one 
hour,  produced  an  exact  life-size  likeness  of  his  wife, 
which,  as  a  work  of  art,  could  not  be  excelled  on  this 
continent.  The  picture  is  in  existence  to-day,  and 
more  than  a  thousand  witnesses  in  Michigan  and  New 
York  can  testify  that  the  representation  Is  true  to  life. 

How  are  these  thino;s  done  ?  We  have  but  one 
answer.  ''  There  Is  a  natural  body,  and  there  Is  a 
spiritual  body."  One  or  the  other  of  these  bodies  must 
hold  the  positive  dominion.  Ordinarily,  in  perfect  physi- 
cal health,  Jthe  animal  man  is  positive.  "  But,  though 
the  outward  man  perish,  the  inward  man  Is  renewed 
day  by  day."  As  the  outward  man  loses  strength, 
the  spiritual,  or  inward  man  becomes  positive  :  hence. 
If  the  physical  man  can  be  put  Into  a  perfectly  sound 
sleep.  It  will  be  In  a  perfectly  negative  condition ; 
then  If  the  spiritual  man  can  take  the  physical  while 
asleep,  and  use  It  without  awakiiig  It,  It  can  certainly 
control  It  better  than  It  could  when  the  physical  was 


86  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

positive.  So  with  mediumship :  an  organism  that  can 
be  put  into  a  sound  magnetic  sleep,  and  then  used  by  a 
spirit-power,  without  being  disturbed  or  awakened,  wall 
always  make  a  good  medium. 

Psychometry  might  be  presented  as  another  evidence 
that  man  has  a  spiritual  nature.  We  all  have  senses 
that  we  little  dream  of.  Even  dumb  animals  manifest 
powers  which  our  positive  intellectuahty  prevents  many 
men  and  women  from  knowing  they  possess.  The  dog 
tracks  the  hare  or  fox  with  unerring  certainty :  so  he 
will  distincruish  his  master's  track  from  that  of  ten  thou- 
sand  other  men,  by  the  peculiar  kind  of  caloric  his  mas- 
ter throws  oif.  Every  individual  is  surrounded  by  a 
•magnetic  aura  peculiar  to  him  or  her  self:  that  Ave 
read  often,  without  knowing  it.  Who  has  not  often, 
upon  being  introduced  to  persons,  formed  an  attach- 
ment, or  taken  a  dislike,  that  no  future  acquaintance 
could  change  ?  AVliy  was  it?  We  answer,  "  The  spir- 
its, unknown,  it  may  be,  to  the  physical  organism,  sought 
and  obtained  an  introduction  to  each  other.  They  saw 
an  affinity,  or  lack  of  it,  as  the  case  might  be,  that  may 
require  the  bodies  many  months  to  learn."  We  have  on 
several  occasions  met  entire  strangers,  and  recognized 
them  by  this  magnetic  atmosphere^  We  could  not  tell 
liow  we  knew  them,  yet  we  Avere  as  positive  wdio  and 
what  they  were  before  as  after  a  formal  introduction. 
"  How  do  you  tell  ?  "  said  a  gentleman  to  us  whom  w^e 
called  by  name,  never  having  seen  him  before.  ''  By 
my  feelings,""  w^as  our  response.  "  It  is  the  most  ridicu- 
lous nonsense,"  ejaculated  our  interrogator.  "  The 
natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  spirit, 
neither  can  he  hioio  them  ;  they  are  foolishness  unto  him,^^ 
was  our  reply. 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  87 

Thoiigli  we  never  yet  took  a  manuscript  into  an 
audience,  we  have  not,  in  almost  seventeen  years'  con- 
stant preaching,  dehvered  as  much  as  one  discourse  that 
we  did  not  read.  When  we  get  up  to  speak,  we  can 
not  look  where  our  discourse  is  not ;  we  can  see  it  pho- 
tographed on  the  walls  of  the  room ;  we  can  read  it  in 
the  countenances  of  our  audience,  or  in  our  bare  hand, 
or  hear  it  in  the  very  silence  of  the  room,  in  pauses 
between  our  words. 

Of  these  phenomena  we  could  not  even  attempt  an 
explanation :  all  we  can  say  is,  there  is  a  spiritual 
world,  and  man  is  endowed  with  spiritual  senses,  which 
occasionally  get  a  glimpse  of  what  is  behind  the  curtain 
of  gross  materiality. 

We  could  weary  the  reader  with  volumes  of  such  evi- 
dences as  have  been  here  presented.  Indeed,  it  is  more 
trouble  to  cease  than  to  write  ;  but  we  must  approach  the 
more  direct  evidence  of  the  duplex  entity  of  man. 

The  great  apostle  to  the  Gentiles  relates  an  historical 
fact  bearing  directly  upon  this  point.  He  says,  "  I 
knew  a  man  in  Christ  above  fourteen  years  ago,  ichether 
in  the  body  or  out  of  the  body  I  can  not  tell;  God  know- 
eth ;  such  an  one  caught  up  to  the  third  heaven,  .  .  . 
and  heard  unspeakable  words,  which  it  is  not  lawful 
[possible]  for  man  to  utter."  —  2  Cor.  xii.  2-4. 

From  this  emphatic  declaration  of  the  learned  Paul, 
we  learn  that  he  supposed  it  possible  for  a  man  to  exist 
out  of  the  bodv.  Had  man  been  all  bodv,  as  certain 
ones  suppose,  and  Paul  understood  it  so,  he  never  could 
have  used  the  language,  "  Whether  in  the  body  or  out 
of  the  body  I  can  not  tell."  Again  :  the  fact  that  words 
were  heard  wdiich  could    not  be  utiered  by  corporeal 


88  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

organs  of  speech  is  proof  abundant,  not  only  that  theixi 
is  a  language  that  fleshly  lips  can  not  speak,  but  that 
the  man  which  exists  sometimes  in  the  body  and  some- 
times out  of  it  can  hear  when  out  of  the  body. 

The  spmtual  nature,  upon  the  existence  of  which 
depends  the  proof  of  Spiritualism,  is,  by  Paul,  referred 
to  as  follows  :  — 

"  For  which  cause  we  faint  »ot ;  but  though  our  out- 
ward man  perish,  yet  the  inward  man  is  renewed  day 
by  day."  — 2  Cor.  iv.  16. 

The  inw^ard  man  is  certainly  not  the  corporeal  or  ani- 
mal man ;  for  one  man  of  that  kind  does  not  dwell 
witliin  another.  Althouo;h  we  are  gettino;  ahead  of  oui* 
subject,  we  must  be  permitted  to  say,  that  this  text  is  a 
most  positive  proof  of  our  second  proposition,  viz.,  that 
the  spiritual  nature  exists  and  retains  its  consciousness 
after  the  body  is  dead.  The  outward  man  perish,  and 
the  inward  man  renewed?  What  can  be  plainer? 
Again :  when  the  inward  man  is  out  of  the  body,  from 
the  fact  of  its  having  perished,  or  from  any  other  cause,  it 
hears  unspeakable  words,  —  words  unuttered  b}^  fleshly 
lips.  Could  we  have  the  framing  of  testimony  to  our 
liking,  we  could  not  make  the  matter  more  plain  than 
Paul  has  done  in  these  two  instances. 

But,  to  come  to  more  modern  facts,  who  has  not  read 
and  heard  and  known  of  instances  of  persons  leaving 
the  body,  even  here  in  this  life,  and  appearing,  some- 
times at  a  distance  of  hundreds  of  miles  from  it ;  thus 
giving  proof  of  their  double  entity  ? 

Take  the  case  related  by  Capt.  Robert  Bruce,  of  the 
man  on  the  wrecked  vessel  appearing  at  the  same  time 
on  another  vessel,  several   leagues  distant,  and  writing 


THE  QUESTION  SETTLED.  89 

on  the  ca})taiii's  slate,  "  Steer  to  tlie  nor' west."  Mr. 
Bi:  ace  himself  saw  the  man  write ;  others  saw  the 
writing.  They  steered  as  directed,  and  saved  the  lives 
of  a  crew  by  doing  so.  The  man  who  did  the  writing, 
it  appeared  afterward,  by  a  comparison  of  the  notes 
of  the  two  sea-captains,  Avas  in  a  trance  at  the  time  it 
was  done. 

If  the  reader  will  take  the  trouble  to  take  the  book 
called  "  Footfalls  on  the  Boundaries  of  Another  World," 
by  Hon.  Robert  Dale  Owen,  and  read  any  two  or  three 
of  the  several  well-authenticated  cases  he  records  un- 
der the  heading  "  apparitions  of  the  living,"  we  feel 
assured  that  he  will  be  couA^inced  that  man  has  a  spiritual 
nature,  which  can  exist  cither  in  or  out  of  the  body. 

As  the  whole  spiritualistic  argument  has  been  sus- 
pended upon  this  proposition,  permit  us  to  cany  the 
argument  further.  The  sin  of  prolixity  is  not  so  great 
as  that  of  brevity,  where  there  is  so  much  at  stake. 

Of  Mrs.  Hauffe,  the  seeress  of  Prevorst,  Kerner 
says,  "  She  was  more  than  half  a  spirit,  and  belonged  to 
a  world  of  spirits  :  she  belonged  to  a  world  after  death, 
and  was  more  than  half  dead.  In  her  sleep  only  was 
she  truly  awake.  Nav,  so  loose  was  the  connection  be- 
tween  soul  and  body,  that,  like  Swedenborg,  she  ofteii 
went  out  of  the  body,  and  could  contemplate  it  sepa- 
rately." —  Despair  of  Science^  p.  140. 

The  following,  taken  from  "  The  Albany  Times," 
seems  to  illustrate  the  truth  of  our  proposition :  — 

"  Some  two  weeks  since,  a  young  lady  living  here, 
whose  father  is  eno-ao-ed  in  mercantile  business  in 
this  city,  awoke  from  a  sleep,  feeling  distressed  and 
alarmed  from  the  effects  of  an  unpleasant  dream.     The 


90  THE    QUESTION   SETTLED. 

iras-li<i-lit  was  burnin<]^,  but  had  been  turned  down  to 
the  closest  })oint ;   thus  making  a  dim  hght  in  the  room, 
and  rendering  portions  of  it  ahnost  dark.      Soon  after 
awaking,  the  young  lady's  attention  was  attracted  by 
the  well-defined  figure  of  a  lady  of  her  acquaintance 
movino;  from  the  door,  some  ten  feet  from  the  foot  of 
her  bed,  toward  it.     Impulsively  she  called  the  figure 
by  name,  on  the  instant  forgetting  the  improbability  of 
tlie  friend  beinoi:  in  the  house,  and  the  fact  that  she  was 
not  a  resident  of  the   city,   but  resided  in   St.  Louis. 
Soon,  however,  all  this  recurred  to  her,  and  the   figure 
already  neared  the  now  alarmed  girl.     The  form  and 
features  were  perfect  and  distinct,  the  expression  one 
of  cheerful  greeting ;  and,  as  it  approached  closer  and 
closer  to  her  side,  it  became  dimmer  and  dimmer,  and 
finally  disappeared   entirely  when  it  had   advanced  to 
about  half  the  length  of  the  bed.      The    nervousness 
caused  by  this  incident  naturally  enough  induced  the 
voung  lady  to  arouse  the  family,  wdio  ascribed  the  mat- 
ter to  excitiup;  imao;ininoi:s.      But  there  was  a  sinoailar 
sequel.     She  had  forebodings,  notwithstanding  all  that 
was  said  to  calm  them ;  and  the  next  day  wrote  to  her 
friend,  detailing  the  incident.     An  answer  w^as  prompt- 
ly received,  announcing  the  good  health  of  the  writer, 
and  the  fact,  that  on  the  same  night,  and  at  the  same 
hour,  she  had  been  visited  in  precisely  the  same  manner 
by  the  semblance  of  her  friend  in  Albany,  and   been 
alarmed   thereby,  lest  it  was   the   foreininner   of  evil. 
The  mutual  revelation  was  a  relief  to  both.     The  cir- 
cumstance, we  think,  has  few,  if  any,  parallels,  and  can 
partially  be  ascribed  to  the  love  the  two  girls  had  for 
each  other,  and  to  active  nervous  temperaments ;  but, 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 


91 


as  to  an  entirely  satisfactory  explanation  of  it,  we  think 
none  can  be  given." 

This  circumstance  is  recorded  as  an  historical  fact, 
nothing  more  :  and  as  such  ^ve  demand  tnat  It  be  met. 
It  wiirnot  do  to  laugh  at  these  things  ;  they  won't  be 
laughed  down  ;  they  occur,  and  demand  an  explanation. 
Le^the  savayis  of  science  look  at  and  explain  a  few  such 
extracts  as  the  foregoing ;  and,  if  that  is  not  enough, 
here  is  another  taken  from  "  The  Banner  of  Light :  "  — 
"  Question,  by  Hiram    Dayton    of    Cincinnati,   O. : 
I  have  always  entertained  strong  doubts  in  regard  to  the 
real  truth  of  spirit-communication ;  but  a  communica- 
tion received  by  me  on  the  night  of  Oct.  20  places  me 
in  a  w^orse  condition  than  ever.     I  believe,  yea,  I  hioiu  ; 
vet  I  do  not  beUeve,  and  donH  know. 

"  On  the  night  above  referred  to,  I  attended  a  small 
circle  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Brayton,  on  Ninth  Street. 
The  mecUum's  name  was  Josephine  Gray,  whom  I  had 
never  seen  before  ;  neither  was  I  in  the  least  acquaint- 
ed wdth  Mr.  Brayton.  When  under  the  influence,  my 
fither  came  and  spoke  through  her  in  a  wonderfully 
mysterious  manner. 

''  Uy  father  resides  in  Albany,  N.Y.,  has  lived  there 
over  forty  years ;  yet  he  came  and  told  me  all  about 
home,  describing  as  correctly  as  I  could  have  done  ;" 
even  giving  names  of  persons,  together  w^ith  their  streets 
and  numbers,  wdth  wdiom  I  am  acquainted ;  and,  lastly, 
said  he  was  very  sick,  and  quite  delirious,  but  thought 
he  should  recover  soon. 

"  I  could  not  gainsay  the  statement ;  but  of  his  sickness 
1  could  not  believe.  The  following  day,  I  Avrote  hm  a 
letter,  detailing  all  of  the  circumstances  connected  with 
the  communication. 


92  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

"  On  tlie  ^Od  of  October,  I  received  a  letter  from  my 
sister,  stating  that  our  father  had  been  very  sick,  but 
Avas  now  better.  But  T  heard  nothing  from  my  letter  to 
liini  until  the  12th  of  December,  when  I  received  a 
letter,  Avritten  by  his  own  hand,  which  states  that  on  the 
20th  of  October  he  Avas  very  sick,  and  says  that  my 
sister  tells  him  lie  was  quite  delirious  for  two  or  three 
hours.  INIy  father  says  he  has  no  recollection  of  what 
passed  during  the  time  referred  to  by  my  sister ;  neither 
does  he  remember  of  seeino;  or  dreamino;  about  me. 
He  says,  to  him  the  two  or  three  hours  referred  to  were 
a  perfect  blank ;  and  he  does  not  appear  to  understand 
hoA\'  he  could  converse  through  another  without  know- 
ing it.     Please  explain  this  strange  phenomenon." 

With  one  more  extract  we  will  close  this  department 
of  the  subject. 

"  The  Spiritual  Telegraph  "  says,  "  A  New-Haven 
gentleman  relates  the  following :  Some  years  ago,  a  gen- 
tleman of  the  name  of  Daboll,  residing  in  New  London, 
Conn.,  Avho  was  reputed  to  possess  the  faculty  of  see- 
ing things  in  distant  parts  of  the  country,  was  applied 
to  for  information  respecting  a  sea-captain  and  vessel 
which  had  sailed  from  that  port,  and  concerning  whose 
fate  there  was  some  uneasiness.  The  old  gentleman  re- 
tired, and  shortly  afterward  returned,  and  said  he  had 
seen  the  captain  at  a  certain  porter-house  at  New  Orleans, 
in  the  act  of  drinking  a  bowl  of  punch,  and  that  he  was 
then  on  the  eve  of  sailing  for  home.  The  circumstance 
was  noted  down,  together  with  the  day  and  hour  of  the 
observation.  In  due  time,  the  captain  returned  home 
with  his  vessel,  and  was  questioned  respecting  his  where- 
abouts on  the  day  above  referred  to.     He  said,  among 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  93 

other  things,  that  he  was  at  a  certam  porter-house  in 
New  Orleans,  and  tliat,  as  lie  was  regaling  himself  with 
a  bo^l  of  punch,  he  plainly  saw  old  My.  Daboll  come 
in  at  one  door,  and  go  out  at  another.  Many  of  our 
readers  will  recollect  an  almost  precisely  similar  circum- 
stance related  by  Jung  Stilling  about  an  old  seer  who 
resided  in  solitude  on  the  banks  of  the  Delaware,  near 
Philadelphia." 

Such  facts  need  no  comment.  When  they  are 
properly  explained,  the  spiritual  nature  of  man  will 
appear.  AVe  ourself  have  had  an  experience  somewhat 
similar  to  the  one  above  related. 

We  have  been  so  fortmiate  as  to  have  had  the  privi- 
lege of  conversing  with  several  persons  who  had  been 
supposed  to  be  dead ;  some  from  drow^ning,  some  from 
wounds  received  in  battle,  and  two  or  three  who  had 
been  supposed  to  die  a  natural  death,  but  had  recov- 
ered from  their  catalepsy.  In  almost  every  instance, 
the  subject  has  related  an  experience  which  proves  him 
to  have  had  a  conscious  existence  separate  from  the 
physical  organism.  Some  have  told  where  they  had 
been  and  what  they  had  seen,  and,  occasionally,  one  has 
given  an  unmistakable  test,  by  which  w^e  could  know 
not  only  that  the  subject  was  sincere  in  thinldng  he  had 
left  his  body,  but  that  he  had  actually  seen  places  and 
parties  many  miles  away  from  his  body,  in  some  in- 
stances giving  so  many  et  ca^teras,  that  he  could  not 
possibly  have  learned  in  any  other  way,  that  it  would 
seem  impossible  to  disbelieve  his  testimony. 

We  remember  one  individual  in  particular,  who,  being 
drowned  and  afterward  resuscitated,  in  giving  his  expe- 
rience, said,  that  while  drowning,  he  distinctly  rememhered 


94  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

every  act  of  his  life.  IMattcrs  of  great  and  small  impor  • 
tancc  were  presented  witli  like  vivid  distinctness ;  things 
long  gone  out  of  mind  Avere  as  fresh  to  him  as  at  the  in- 
stant of  their  transaction.  After  viewing,  as  in  pano- 
ramic scene,  his  own  life,  the  vision  faded  before  him. 
He  then  remembered  leaving  his  body ;  of  viewing  him- 
self in  the  water  and  out  of  the  water  at  the  same  time  ; 
of  being  for  a  few  moments  confused  to  make  out  which 
was  really  himself,  or  whether  it  was  not  all  a  dream ; 
of  discovering  a  magnetic  cord  (could  with  propriety  be 
termed  a  spiritual  umbilical  cord  ;  Solomon  calls  it  a 
"  silver  cord,"  Eccl.  xii.  G)  by  which  he  was  prevented 
from  getting  entirely  away  from  the  animal  body,  &c. 
The  whole  circumstance  was  related  to  us  in  such 
a  serious  manner,  and  with  such  an  air  of  truthfulness, 
that  we  could  come  to  no  other  conclusion  than  that  to 
the  relator  it  was  a  reality. 

Now  we  are  tempted  to  ask.  What  do  such  experiences 
mean  ?  They  are  so  many  and  so  varied,  that,  if  they 
were  written,  "  the  world  itself  could  not  contain  the 
books."  Yet  not  one  who  has  ever  passed  through 
such  a  scene  has  had  the  hardihood  afterward  to  deny 
his  belief  in  his  spiritual  nature. 

\Ye  now  approach  the  second  division  of  the  argu- 
ment, viz.,  — 

27ie  Spiritual  Nature  of  Man  exists  in  a  Conscious  State 
after  the  Body  is  dead. 

Most  Bible  believers  acknowledge  this  proposition. 
Some  do  not.  For  the  benefit  of  such,  we  will  state 
that  it  is  a  Bible  doctrine,  that  knowledge  inheres  in 
spirit. 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  95 

"  For  what  man  knowetli  the  things  of  a  man,  save 
the  spmt  of  a  man  which  is  in  him?  "  —  1  Cor.  ii.  11. 

This  text  affirms  just  Avhat  om-  proposition  does,  — 
that  knowledge  inheres  in  spirit.  Paul  once  more  makes 
the  same  affirmation.     Hear  him  :  — 

"  For  we  wrestle  not  against  flesh  and  blood,  hut 
against  principalities,  against  powers,  against  the  rulers 
of  the  darkness  of  this  world,  against  spiritual  wicked- 
ness  [wicked    spirits]    in  high  places."  —  Eph.  vi.  12. 

Certainly,  wickedness  can  not  be  predicated  of  that 
which  is  not  conscious ;  but  it  is  predicated  of  spirit : 
therefore  spmt  is  conscious. 

No  one  will  contend  that  the  spirit  who  said  to  Phihp, 
"  Go  near  and  join  thyself  to  this  chariot"  (Acts  viii. 
29),  Avas  unconscious. 

This  same  spirit  gave  a  physical  demonstration  of  his 
power  when  he  "  caught  away  Philip  that  the  eunuch 
saw  him  no  more."  —  Acts  A'iii.  39. 

The  writer  of  the  Book  of  Acts  says, — 

''  For  unclean  spirits,  crying  with  a  loud  voice,  came 
out  of  many  that  were  possessed  with  them ;  and  many 
taken  with  palsies,  and  that  were  lame,  were  healed."  — 
Acts  viii.  7. 

Permit  us  to  ask,  How  coukl  tliese  unclean  spirits 
take  possession  of  media,  and  cry  with  a  loud  voice,  if 
they  had  no  conscious  existence  ?  Such  paragraphs  as 
the  one  just  quoted  can  be  found  by  the  score  in  the 
Bible.  Do  they  mean  any  thing?  They  do  not,  unless 
their  winters  supposed  the  spirit  to  be  a  conscious 
entity. 

With  the  elucidation  of  one  more  thought,  we  will 
pass  to  the  last  and  most  important  proposition  of  this 
chapter.     Peter  says, — 


96  THE  qup:stiox  settled. 

"  For  Christ  also  liatli  once  suifered  for  our  sins,  the 
just  for  the  unjust,  that  he  miglit  bring  us  to  God ; 
being  i)ut  to  death  in  tlie  flesh,  but  quickened  by  the 
s])irit :  by  which,  also,  he  went  and  preached  to  the 
s])irits  in  prison ;  which  sometime  were  disobedient  in 
tlie  days  of  Noah,  while  the  ark  was  preparing,  wherein 
few,  that  is  eight  souls,  were  saved  by  Avater."  —  1  Pet. 
iii.  18-20. 

In  this  text  there  are  three  expressions  which  should 
be  weighed.  1st,  "  Christ  being  put  to  death  in  the 
flesh,"  i.  e.,  the  flesh  being  put  to  death,  "  but  quickened 
by  the  spirit."  The  best  scholars  inform  us  that  a  better 
renderino;  would  be,  "  Christ  suffered  the  stroke  of  death 
in  the  flesh,  but  survived  it  in  the  spirit^  How  plain  ! 
The  flesh  put  to  death,  the  spirit  survives. 

2d,  The  next  point  to  which  we  would  call  atten- 
tion is,  "  By  which  he  [Christ,  who  survived  in  the 
spirit]  went  and  preached  to  the  spirits  in  prison." 

3d,  These  spirits  were  departed  spirits  of  human 
beings ;  for  they  were  none  other  than  those  who  were 
disobedient  in  the  days  of  Noah.  These  spirits,  certain- 
ly, could  not  hear  preaching  if  they  did  not  exist  in 
a  conscious  state.  This  statement  is  corroborated  by 
another  statement  from  the  same  author. 

"  For  this  cause  was  the  gospel  preached  also  to  them 
that  are  dead,  that  they  might  be  judged  according  to 
men  in  the  flesh,  but  live  according  to  God  in  the 
spirit."  —  1  Pet.  iv.  6. 

What  sense  can  there  be  in  using  the  phrase,  "  men 
in  the  flesh,"  if  there  are  no  men  out  of  the  flesh,  — 
if,  indeed,  flesh,  blood,  and  breath  is  all  there  is  of 
man? 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  07 

We  now  come  to  a  consideration  of  the  argument 
from  anotlier  standpoint.     It  is  as  follows  :  — 

Spirits  of  the  Departed  can  communicate  with  the  Inhab- 
itants of  Earth. 

This  proposition  is  the  "  stmnhling-block,"  this  con- 
tahis  the  offensive  part,  of  Spiritualism ;  drop  this,  and 
a  majority  of  our  readers  will  admit  the  preceding 
ones.  Only  keep  spirits  away  from  this  earth,  keep 
heaven  and  earth  apart,  and  all  is  well ;  but  write  that 
spirits  in  and  out  of  the  flesh  hold  sweet  communion, 
and  you  are  at  once  a  heretic,  worthy  of  nothing 
better  than  the  fate  of  Michael  Servetus,  or  the  Salem 
witches. 

On  this,  as  on  other  departments  of  this  subject,  our 
first  evidences  shall  be  drawn  from  the  Bible. 

After  having  spent  twelve  years  in  the  mvestigation 
of  Spiritualism  as  an  opponent,  and  almost  six  years  as 
an  advocate,  we  are  compelled  to  say  that  modern 
Spiritualism  is  but  a  repetition  of  ancient  Spiritualism, 
as  manifest  in  the  Bible.  We  can  not  now  think  of  a 
form  of  manifestation  in  the  Bible  but  that  can  be  dupli- 
cated in  modern  manifestations,  and  vice  versa. 

The  case  of  Samuel  returnino;  to  Saul  is  so  irresisti- 
ble,  that  we  present  it  first.  The  historian  prefaces  his 
historical  fact  with  the  words,  — 

"  Now,  Samuel  was  dead,  and  all  Israel  had  lamented 
him,  and  buried  him  in  Ramali,  even  in  his  o^^^l  city. 
And  Saul  had  put  away  those  that  had  familiar  spirits, 
and  the  wizards,  out  of  the  land."  —  1  Sam.  xxviii.  3. 

But  the  Jehovah  being  a  "jealous  God  "  (Ex.  xx.  5) 
had  become  angiy  with  Saul,  and  left  him  to  manage 


98  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

his  own  affairs.  In  his  extremity,  Saul  had  recourse  to 
other  gods ;  for  be  it  remembered,  that  while  this  Jew- 
ish God  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  spirit  of  a  dead 
man,  as  we  will  abundantly  prove,  every  spirit  that  com- 
municated was  a  god.  Thus  when  a  band  of  spirits,  led 
on  by  Samuel  the  prophet,  came  to  the  woman,  she 
said,  "  I  saw  gods  ascending  out  of  the  earth."  She 
immediately,  in  response  to  Saul's  inquiry,  proceeds  to 
describe  one.  Her  lano;uao;e  is,  "  An  old  man  cometh 
up,  and  he  is  covered  with  a  mantle."  From  this  de- 
scription, Saul  perceived  that  it  Avas  Samuel.  Now,  we 
will,  without  note  or  comment,  let  the  historian  tell  his 
own  story. 

"  And  Samuel  said  to  Saul,  Why  hast  thou  disquiet- 
ed me,  to  bring  me  up?  And  Saul  answered,  I  am 
sore  distressed ;  for  the  Philistines  make  war  against 
me,  and  God  is  departed  from  me,  and  answereth  me 
no  more,  neither  by  prophets  nor  by  dreams :  therefore 
I  have  called  thee,  that  thou  mayest  make  known  unto 
me  what  I  shall  do.  Then  said  Samuel,  Wherefore, 
then,  dost  thou  ask  of  me,  seeing  the  Lord  is  departed 
from  thee,  and  is  become  thine  enemy  ?  And  the  Lord 
hath  done  to  him  as  he  spake  by  me  ;  for  the  Lord  hath 
rent  the  kingdom  out  of  thine  hand,  and  given  it  to 
thy  neighbor,  even  to  David.  Because  thou  obeycdst 
not  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  nor  executedst  his  fierce 
wrath  upon  Amalck,  therefore  hath  the  Lord  done  this 
thing  unto  thee  this  day.  Moreover,  the  Lord  will 
also  deliver  Israel  with  thee  into  the  hand  of  the  Phil- 
istines ;  and  to-morrow  shalt  thou  and  thy  sons  be  with 
me;  the  Lord,  also,  shall 'deliver  the  host  of  Israel  into 
the  hand  of  the  Philistines.     Then  Saul  fell  straight- 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  99 

way  all  along  on  tlie  cartli,  and  was  sore  afraid,  because 
of  the  words  of  Samuel :  and  there  was  no  strength  in 
him;  for  he  had  eaten  no  bread  all  the  day  nor  all 
the  nidit." 

We  have  given  this  whole  history  in  order  that  oul 
readers  may  see  the  similarity  in  ancient  and  modern 
Spiritualism.  There  is  only  one  question  underlying 
the  whole  circumstance  ;  that  is,  Is  the  Bible  true  ?  If 
80,  Samuel  not  only  had  a  conscious  existence  after  the 
world  called  him  dead,  but  he  returned  to  talk  with 
Saul,  who  was  an  old  acquaintance.  If  this  record 
is  not  true,  we  ask  the  opponents  of  Spiritualism,  in  all 
candor,  how  they  know  that  any  of  the  Bible  is  true  ? 
The  Bible  says,  "  Samuel  said  to  Saul,  Why  hast  thou 
disquieted  me?''  &c.  Christians,  again  we  ask.  Is  your 
Bible  true  ?     If  so,  the  question  is  settled. 

"  No,"  said  a  minister  to  us,  "  the  Devil  came  to  this 
old  witch  and  Saul,  personating  Samuel."  We  could 
but  ask,  "  Who  told  you  so  ?  " 

But  it  matters  not  whether  it  was  Samuel,  the  Devil, 
or  an  ignis  fattms  ;  whether  the  woman  w^as  a  witch,  a 
medium,  or  a  member  of  an  orthodox  Presbyterian 
church ;  to  us  and  all  others  the  evidence  is  the  same. 
From  it,  in  either  case,  the  following  stubborn  conclu- 
sions are  irresistible :  — 

1.  It  Avas  the  opinion  of  Saul  (who  was  a  Jewish 
prophet,  and  ought  to  know)  that  Samuel  was  there, 
and  conversed  with  him. 

2.  The  woman  evidently  thought  Samuel  was  there. 

3.  The  Jewish  nation,  "to  whom  were  committed 
the  oracles  of  God"  (Rom.  iii.  2)  o-ver  believed  that 
Samuel  was  there. 


100  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

4.  The  writer  of  the  Book  of  Samuel  says,  without 
note  or  comment,  Samuel  was  there.  He  makes  no 
reservation,  no  explanation ;  records  it,  not  as  being  a 
strano-e  circumstance  ;  but  as  a  matter  of  course. 

5.  Finally,  though  we  resisted  the  evidence  twelve 
long  years,  we  fully  believe  Samuel  was  there  ;  we  find 
no  room  to  doubt  it ;  as  well  doubt  the  fact  of  Saul  or 
the  woman  having  been  present  on  that  occasion. 

Josephus,  a  Jewish  historian,  has  said  that  the  woman 
was  a  necromancer  ;  that  she  saw  Samuel.  His  account 
of  the  matter  reads  as  follows  :  — 

"  She  told  Saul  she  saw  an  old  man  already,  and  of 
a  glorious  personage,  and  that  he  had  on  a  sacerdotal 
mantle.  So  the  king  discovered  by  these  signs  that  he 
was  Samuel ;  and  he  fell  down  upon  the  ground,  and 
saluted  and  worshiped  him.  And  when  the  soul  of 
Samuel  asked  him  why  he  had  disturbed  him,  and 
caused  him  to  be  brought  up,  he  lamented  the  neces- 
sity he  was  under.;  for  he  said  that  his  enemies  pressed 
heavily  upon  him ;  that  he  was  in  distress  what  to  do 
in  his  present  circumstances ;  that  he  was  forsaken  of 
God,  and  could  obtain  no  prediction  of  what  was  com- 
ing, neither  by  prophets  nor  by  dreams  ;  and  that  these 
are  the  reasons  I  have  recourse  to  thee,  who  always 
takcst  care  of  me." 

Upon  this,  one  of  our  most  pithy  writers,  W.  F. 
Jamieson,  remarks,  "  Poor,  distressed  Saul ;  my  soul 
always  sympathizes  with  him  when  I  read  the  account. 
His  guardian  angel  or  spirit  lord  was  thrown  into  a 
rage  because  Saul  refused  to  obey  him  in  the  conduct 
of  the  war  with  the  Amalekites.  That  Saul  may  have 
believed  that  the  God  of  the  universe  was  his  adviser, 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  101 

and  li;ul  refused  to  answer  liim  because  of  liis  disobedi- 
ence, is  reasonable.  There  are  people  in  this  day  who 
believe  they  talk  with  God.  God  is  often  belittled  in 
the  imagination  as  a  fretful,  passionate,  finite  being." 

But  Josephus  continues,  "  But  Samuel,  seeing  that 
the  end  of  Saul's  life  was  come,  said,  '  It  is  vain  for 
thee  to  desire  to  learn  of  me  any  thing  further,  when 
God  hath  forsaken  thee ;  however,  hear  what  I  say, 
that  David  is  to  be  king,  and  to  finish  tliis  war  with 
good  success ;  and  thou  art  to  lose  thy  dominion  and 
thy  life,  because  thou  didst  not  obey  God  in  the  war 
with  the  Amalekites,  and  hast  not  kept  his  command- 
ments as  I  foretold  thee  wdiile  I  was  alive.'  "  — Antiqui- 
ties of  the  Jews,  chap.  xiv. 

Since  the  opposers  of  modern  Spiritualism  are  find- 
ing the  conclusions  Spiritualists  draw  from  this  irre- 
sistible, they  have  concluded  to  impede  its  force  by 
slandering  the  character  of  the  lady  who  officiated  as 
medium  on  this  occasion.  In  addition  to  calling  .her 
"an  old  witch,"  there  has  never  been  an  insinuation 
made  ao-ainst  the  character  of  a  modem  medium  but 
has  been  tised  to  injure  the  reputation  of  the  benevo- 
lent lady  whom  Saul  sought  in  the  hour  of  his  dis- 
tress. The  object,  of  course,  is  to  create  a  prejudice  by 
which  to  kill  the  force  of  this  manifestation.  Happily, 
a  Jewish  historian  has  come  to  her  rescue.  The  char- 
acter of  one  medium,  at  least,  finds  a  defender.  Jose- 
phus says,  — 

"  It  is  but  just  to  recommend  the  generosity  of  this 
woman,  because,  when  the  king  had  forbidden  her  to 
use  that  art  whence  her  circumstances  were  bettered 
and  improved,  and  when  she  had  never  seen  the  kiug 


102  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED, 

before,  she  still  did  not  remember  to  his  disadvaiitao;e 
tliat  he  had  condemned,  her  sort  of  learning,  and  did 
not  refuse  him  as  a  stranger  and  one  that  she  had  no 
acquaintance  with ;  but  she  had  compassion  upon  liim, 
and  comforted  him,  and  exhorted  him  to  do  what  lie 
was  greatly  averse  to,  and  oifered  him  the  only  creature 
slie  liad,  as  a  poor  woman,  and  that  earnestly  and  with 
great  humanity,  while  she  had  no  requital  made  her  f.rr 
her  kindness,  nor  hunted  after  any  future  favor  from 
him,  for  she  knew  that  he  was  to  die :  whereas,  men 
arc  naturally  either  ambitious  to  please  those  that 
bestow  benefits  upon  them,  or  are  very  ready  to  serve 
those  from  whom  they  may  receive  some  advantage.  It 
would  be  well,  therefore,  to  imitate  the  example  of  this 
Avoman,  and  do  kindness  to  all  such  as  are  in  want, 
and  to  think  that  nothing  is  better,  nor  more  becoming 
mankind,  than  such  general  beneficence,  nor  what  will 
sooner  render  God  favorable,  and  ready  to  bestow 
good  things  upon  us." 

The  case  of  the  appearance  of  Moses  and  Elias  is 
positive  proof  of  our  proposition.  One  writer  records 
this  phenomenon  as  follows  :  — 

"  And  after  six  days  Jesus  taketh  Peter,  James,  and 
John  his  brotlier,  and  bringeth  them  up  into  a  high 
mountain  apart,  and  was  transfigured  before  them  ;  and 
his  face  did  shine  as  the  sun,  and  his  raiment  was  white 
as  the  light.  And,  behold,  there  appeared  unto  th(?m 
Moses  and  Elias  talkino;  with  him.  Then  answered 
Peter,  and  said  unto  Jesus,  Lord,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be 
here  :  if  thou  wilt,  let  us  make  here  three  tabernacles  ; 
one  for  thee,  and  one  for  Moses,  and  one  for  Elias. 
While  he  yet  spake,  behold,  a  bright  cloud  overshadowed 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  103 

tliem :  and  behold  a  voice  out  of  the  cloud,  which  said, 
This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased : 
hear  ye  him.  And,  when  the  disciples  heard  it,  they 
fell  on  their  face,  and  were  sore  afraid.  And  Jesus 
came  and  touched  them,  and  said.  Arise,  and  be  not 
afraid."  —  INIatt.  xvii.  1-7. 

Luke's  record  is  even  more  positive  and  spiritualistic 
than  that  of  JMattliew.  As  Luke  has  made  some  points 
worthy  of  attention,  wdiich  IMatthew  did  not  mention, 
we  quote  his  record  entire  :  — 

"  And  it  came  to  pass  about  an  eight  days  after  these 
sayings,  he  took  Peter  and  John  and  James,  and  went 
up  into  a  mountain  to  pray.  And  as  he  prayed,  the 
fashion  of  his  countenance  was  altered,  and  his  raiment 
was  white  and  glistering.  Afid,  beJiold,  there  talked  luitJi 
Jiijn  tivo  meyi^  ivliich  tuei^e  3Ioses  and  Elias^  who  ap- 
peared in  glory,  and  spake  of  his  decease  which  he 
should  accomplish  at  Jerusalem.  But  Peter  and  they 
that  were  with  him  were  heavy  with  sleep ;  and,  when 
they  were  awake,  they  saw  his  glory,  and  the  two  men 
that  stood  with  him.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  de- 
parted from  him,  Peter  said  unto  Jesus,  Master,  it  is 
good  for  us  to  be  here :  and  let  us  make  three  taber- 
nacles ;  one  for  thee,  and  one  for  Moses,  and  one  for 
Elias  ;  not  knowing  what  he  said.  While  he  thus  spake, 
there  came  a  cloud  and  overshadowed  them ;  and  they 
feared  as  they  entered  into  the  cloud.  And  there  came 
a  voice  out  of  the  cloud,  saying.  This  is  my  beloved 
Son  :  hear  him.  And  when  the  voice  was  past,  Jesus 
was  found  alone.  And  they  kept  it  close,  and  told  no 
man  in  those  days  any  of  those  things  which  they  had 
seen."  — Luke  ix.  28-36. 


104  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

This  can  not  be  any  thing  else  than  the  appearance 
of  those  we  call  dead ;  for  the  Bible  says,  — 

"  So  Moses,  the  servant  of  the  Lord,  died  there  in  the 
land  of  Moab,  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord.  And 
he  buried  him  in  a  valley  in  the  land  of  Moab,  over 
against  Beth-peor ;  but  no  man  knoweth  of  his  sepulchre 
unto  this  day.  And  IMoses  was  a  hundred  and  twenty 
years  old  w^hen  he  cUed :  his  eye  was  not  dim,  nor  his 
natural  force  abated."  —  Deut.  xxxiv.  5-7. 

If  the  record  is  true,  "  there  talked  with  him  Uvo  men, 
wJticJi  ivere  Moses  and  Ulias.^^  How  can  this  be  met? 
"  Oh  !  "  say  our  materialistic  opposers,  "  it  is  only  a 
vision;  Moses  and  Eliaswere  not  there."  We  can  not 
see  how  the  declaration,  "  Tell  the  vision  to  no  man," 
should  lead  us  to  dispute  the  record  which  says,  "  Moses 
and  Elias  talked  with  him,"  any  more  than  the  record 
wliich  says,  "  They  came,  saying  that  they  had  also  seen 
a  vision  of  angels,  which  said  that  he  was  alive"  (Luke 
xxiv.  23),  should  cause  us  to  say  that  angels  never 
come  to  earth.  In  this  "  vision,"  we  have  not  only  the 
talking  of  the  dead  to  the  living,  but  there  was  evidently 
a  spirit-light ;  for  Jesus  is  surrounded  by  a  cloud  so 
bright,  that  his  face  and  garaients  are  all  aglow.  The 
disciples  were  evidently  unconsciously  entranced ;  for 
Peter  talked  without  knowing  what  he  said.  A  spirit- 
voice,  such  as  is  now  heard  every  day,  w^as  heard  at  this 
time,  saying,  "  This  is  my  beloved  son." 

We  not  only  affirm  that  spirits  can  and  do  return  and 
communicate,  but  that  every  form  of  the  manifestation 
of  modem  Spiiitualism  is  found  in  the  Bible.  Perhaps 
there  is  no  form  of  mediumship  now  more  popular  than 
that  of  writing.     There  are  now  various  phases  of  writ' 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  105 

ing  mediumsliip.  Dr.  Henry  Slade  of  Jackson,  Mich., 
and  Peter  West  of  Chicago,  are,  perhaps,  the  best  writ- 
ing mediums  in  the  circle  of  our  acquaintance.  We 
have  often  known  pencils  to  write  in  their  presence,  in 
broad  daylight,  without  any  visible  hand  touching  them. 
There  is  a  little  girl  not  yet  four  years  old,  in  Newton 
Corner,  Mass.,  who  has  had  the  names  of  deceased  per- 
sons come  in  large  vivid  letters  upon  her  arm,  when 
there  was  no  visible  cause  for  the  strange  manifestation. 
The  "  hand-w^riting  "  was  never  plainer  on  "  the  walls 
of  the  king's  palace  "  than  we  ourself  have  seen  it  on 
the  walls  of  oui'  own  bedroom.  Some  of  the  finest 
poems  and  plays  Ave  have  ever  read  were  written  by  an 
entranced  medium. 

Different  phases  of  writmg  mediumsliip  can  be  found 
in  the  Bible.  After  Elijah  the  prophet  had  been  in  the 
spirit-world  at  least  seven  years,  we  read,  — 

"  And  there  came  a  writing  to  him  [King  Jehoram] 
from  Elijah  the  prophet,  saying.  Thus  saith  the  Lord 
God  of  David  thy  father,  Because  thou  hast  not  walked 
in  the  ways  of  Jehoshaphat  thy  father,  nor  in  the  ways 
of  Asa  king  of  Judah,  but  hast  walked  in  the  way  of 
the  kings  of  Israel,  and  hast  made  Judah  and  the  inhab- 
itants of  Jerusalem  to  go  a  w^horing,  like  to  the  whore- 
doms of  the  house  of  Ahab,  and  also  hast  slain  thy  breth- 
ren of  thy  father's  house,  which  were  better  than  thyself, 
behold,  with  a  great  plague  will  the  Lord  smite  thy 
people,  and  thy  children,  and  thy  wives,  and  all  thy 
goods ;  and  thou  shalt  have  great  sickness  by  disease 
of  thy  bowels,  until  thy  bowels  fall  out  1  y  reason  of  the 
sickness  day  by  day."  —  2  Chron.  xxi.  12-16. 

Tliis  Jehoram  was  not  exalted  to  the  throne  until 


106  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

after  Elisha's  return  from  Elijah's  funeral,  when  the  two 
she  bears  killed  the  forty-two  childi'en  (see  2  Kings  ii. 
2-3-25,  iii.  1,  2)  ;  but  this  written  communication  from 
Elijah  is  the  death-warrant  of  the  king,  whose  wicked 
reign  lasted  eight  years.  Hence  there  is  no  escaping 
the  fact  that  it  is  a  genuine  spirit-commmiication. 

In  Dan.  v.  5,  is  another  written  communication.  The 
words  of  the  text  are,  — 

"  In  the  same  hour  came  forth  fincrers  of  a  man's 
hand,  and  wrote  over  against  the  candlestick  upon  the 
plaster  of  the  wall  of  the  king's  palace ;  and  the  king 
saw  the  part  of  the  hand  that  wrote." 

Shall  we  believe  such  things  in  the  Bible,  and  reject 
similar  modern  manifestations?  Or,  to  reverse  the 
proposition,  are  not  modern  phenomena  a  testimony  to 
the  truth  of  such  declarations  of  holy  writ  ? 

We  are  not  yet  ready  to  take  leave  of  the  communi- 
cations from  and  manifestations  of  the  spirit  of  Elijah. 
The  Jews  had  a  tradition  that  Elias  [Elijah  the  prophet] 
must  come  (Matt.  xvii.  11).  This  tradition  was,  per- 
haps, based  on  the  prediction,  — 

*'  Behold,  1  will  send  you  Elijah  the  prophet  before 
the  coming  of  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord." 
—  Mai.  iv.  5. 

When  the  birth  of  John  the  Baptist  was  foretold,  it 
was  said  of  him,  — 

"  And  he  shall  go  before  him  in  the  spirit  and  power 
of  Elias,  to  turn  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  to  the  chil- 
dren, and  the  disobedient  to  the  wisdom  of  the  just ;  to 
make  ready  a  people  prepared  for  tlie  Lord."  —  Luke 
i.  17. 

John  does  go  out  in  the  spirit  of  Elijah,  and  manifests 


THE  QUESTION  SETTLED.  107 

all  of  his  idiosyncrasies  ;  and,  as  a  result,  tlie  Jews  ex- 
claim, ''He  hath  a  Devil"  (Matt.  xi.  18).  The  word 
*'  devil,"  in  this  instance,  comes  from  the  Greek  word 
daimon,  which  the  Greeks,  who  should  understand  their 
own  language,  interjDreted  to  mean  the  spirit  of  a  dead 
man.  How  similar  is  this  to  the  char^ce  now  brouMit 
against  those  under  the  influence  of  spirits ! 

To  make  assurance  in  reo-ard  to  John  beino;  under 
Elijah's  influence  doubly  sure,  Jesus,  after  the  martyr- 
dom of  John,  says  of  him,  "  And,  if  ye  will  receive  it, 
this  is  Ehas  which  was  for  to  come."  —  Matt.  >ri.  14. 
Again  w^e  read,  — 

"  And  his  disciples  asked  him,  saying,  Why,  then, 
say  the  scribes  that  Elias  must  first  come  ?  And  Jesus 
answered  and  said  unto  them,  Elias  truly  shall  first 
come,  and  restore  all  things.  But  I  say  unto  you,  that 
Elias  is  come  already,  and  they  knew  him  not,  but  have 
done  unto  him  whatsoever  they  listed.  Likew^ise' shall 
also  the  Son  of  man  suffer  of  them.  Then  the  disci- 
ples understood  that  he  spake  unto  them  of  John  the 
Baptist." 

So  far  as  argument  from  the  Bible  is  concerned,  we 
must  consider  the  question  settled.  Though  there  are 
hundreds  of  passages  in  that  book  bearing  upon  the 
point,  there  are  none  more  positive  than  many  of  those 
already  quoted. 

For  the  benefit  of  the  curious  wdio  wish  to  pursue 
this  part  of  the  investigation  further,  we  subjoin  a  few 
scriptural  statements  without  comment.  Ezekiel  was 
a  great  medium,  as  wdll  be  evinced  by  the  following  :  — 

''  Then  the  spirit  took  me  up,  and  I  heard  behind  me 
a  voice  of  a  great  iiishing,  saying,  Blessed  be  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  from  his  place."  —  Ezek.  iii.  12. 


108  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

''  Then  the  s})irit  entered  mto  me,  and  set  me  upon 
my  feet,  and  spake  with  me,  and  said  nnto  me,  Go,  shut 
thvself  ^vithin  thine  house."  —  Ezek.  hi.  24. 

"  Then  I  beheld,  and,  lo,  a  hkeness  as  the  appearance 
of  fire ;  from  the  appearance  of  his  loins,  even  down- 
'vard,  fire  ;  and  from  his  loins,  even  upward,  as  the  ap- 
Dcarance  of  brightness,  as  the  color  of  amber.  And  he 
imt  forth  the  form  of  a  hand,  and  took  me  hy  a  lock  ?f 
mine  head;  and  the  sjnrit  If  ted  one  up  between  the  earth 
and  the  heaven,  and  brought  me  in  the  visions  of  God 
to  Jerusalem,  to  the  door  of  the  inner  gate  that  looketh 
toward  the  north ;  where  was  the  seat  of  the  image  of 
jealousy,  which  provoketh  to  jealousy."  —  Ezek.  viii. 
2,3. 

Here  is  either  a  physical  manifestation  of  spirit-power, 
or  Ezekiel's  spirit  leaves  his  body,  and  is  caught  away 
''in  the  visions  of  God  to  Jerusalem."  In  either  case, 
it  affords  the  most  positive  proof  of  Spiritualism.  The 
spirits  with  which  Ezekiel  deals  to  so  great  an  extent 
are  several  times  called  men.  —  See  Ezek.  ix.  2,  3, 11. 

"  Afterwards  the  spirit  took  me  up,  and  brought  me 
in  a  vision  by  the  Spirit  of  God  into  Chaldtea,  to  them 
of  the  captivity.  So  the  vision  that  I  had  seen  went 
up  from  me.  Then  I  spake  unto  them  of  the  captivity 
all  the  things  that  the  Lord  had  show^ed  me."  —  Ezek. 
xi.  24,  25. 

Death  did  not  change  the  moral  status  of  men  in  an- 
cient times  more  than  it  does  now  ;  hence,  the  spirits 
communicating  were  not  always  good  and  truthful.  In 
1  Sam.  xvi.  14-17,  we  read,  — 

"  But  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  departed  from  Saul,  and 
an  evil  spirit  from  the  Lord  troubled  him.     And  Saul's 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  109 

servants  said  unto  liim,  Behold  now,  an  evil  spirit  from 
God  troubletli  tliee.  Let  our  lord  now  command  tliy 
servants,  whicli  are  before  thee,  to  seek  out  a  man  who 
is  a  cunning  player  on  a  harp ;  and  it  shall  come  to  pass 
when  the  evil  spirit  from  God  is  upon  thee,  that  he 
shall  play  with  his  hand,  and  thou  shalt  be  well.  And 
Saul  said  unto  his  servants,  Provide  me  now  a  man 
that  can  play  well,  and  bring  him  to  me." 

David  was  the  man  provided. 

"  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  evil  spirit  from  God 
was  upon  Saul,  that  David  took  a  harp,  .and  played  with 
his  hand :  so  Saul  was  refreshed,  and  was  well,  and  the 
evil  spirit  departed  from  him."  —  1  Sam.  xvi.  23. 

Lying  spirits  once  got  the  control  of  four  hundred 
prophets  at  one  time.  —  See  1  Kings  xxii. 

Permit  us,  in  conclusion,  to  present  a  few  evidences 
from  the  pages  of  every-day  life ;  and  we  must  preface 
them  with  the  truthful  words  of  the  renowned  Dr. 
Johnson. 

''  That  the  dead  are  seen  no  more,"  says  the  great 
lexicographer,  ''  I  will  not  undertake  to  maintain  against 
the  concurrent  testunony  of  all  ages  and  nations.  There 
is  no  people,  rude  or  unlearned,  among  whom  appari- 
tions of  tlie  dead  are  not  related  and  believed.  This 
opinion,  which  prevails  as  far  as  human  nature  is  diffused, 
could  become  universal  only  by  its  truth ;  those  avIio 
never  heard  of  one  another  would  not  have  agreed  in  a 
tale  which  nothing  but  experience  could  make  credible. 
That  it  is  doubted  by  single  cavilers  can  very  little 
weaken  the  general  evidence  ;  and  some  who  deny  it 
with  their  tongues  confess  it  with  their  fears." 

Had  our  readers  the  time  and  disposition  to  candidly 


110  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

peruse  the  works  of  Hon.  Robert  Dale  Owen  and  Wil- 
liam Ilowitt,  on  tliis  subject,  they  would  find  a  mine 
which  would  richly  repay  their  explorations ;  besides,  it 
would  satisfy  those  who  have  brains,  and  use  them,  that 
the  dead  do  return.  The  following  extract,  taken 
from  "  The  Spiritual  Times "  of  London,  is  to  the 
point :  — 

"  The  Marquis  de  Bamtouillet  and  the  Marquis  de 
Preccy  were  intimate  friends  and  companions  in  arms. 
Tallving,  one  day,  of  the  next  world,  they  promised  that 
the  one  who  died  first  should  retm-n  to  tell  the  other  of 
the  event.  Three  months  subsequently,  the  Marquis 
de  Bamtouillet  started  for  the  seat  of  war  in  Flanders : 
his  friend,  being  detained  by  fever,  remained  in  Paris. 
Six  weeks  later,  De  Precey  was  awakened  at  six  o'clock 
in  the  morning  by  the  curtains  of  his  bed  being  drawn 
aside  ;  and,  turning  to  see  who  it  was,  he  perceived  his 
friend.  Springing  out  of  bed,  he  tried  to  embrace  him, 
to  testify  his  joy  at  his  return  ;  but  Bamtouillet  retreated 
a  few  steps,  and  said,  caresses  were  misplaced ;  he  came 
to  fulfill  a  promise  ;  that  he  had  been  slain  in  battle  the 
preceding  day,  and  that  all  that  was  said  of  a  future  life 
was  true ;  that  De  Precey  ought  to  alter  his  present 
mode  of  life  without  delay,  for  he  would  be  killed  in  his 
first  engagement.  Unable  to  credit  his  senses,  the  mar- 
quis again  tried  to  embrace  his  friend,  believing  it  all  to 
be  a  joke  ;  but  he  only  grasped  the  air  :  and  Bamtouil- 
let, perceiving  his  doubts,  showed  him  the  wound  which 
he  had  received,  from  which  the  blood  appeared  to  flow. 
After  this,  the  phantom  disappeared;  and  De  Precey 
awoke  the  whole  house  by  his  cries.     Several  persons, 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  Ill 

to  whom  lie  related  what  he  had  seen  and  heard,  at- 
tributed the  vision  to  a  fevered  brain,  and,  entreatuig 
liim  to  lie  down,  assured  him  that  he  must  have  been 
dreaming.  The  marquis,  in  despair  at  being  taken  for  a 
visionary,  related  all  the  above-mentioned  circumstances, 
protesting  he  had  both  seen  and  heard  his  friend  while 
awake  ;  but  it  was  of  no  effect  until  the  arrival  of  the 
mail  from  Flanders  brought  the  announcement  of  the 
death  of  the  marquis. 

"  This  first  circumstance  proving  correct,  in  the  very 
manner  related  by  De  Precey,  his  friends  began  to  think 
there  mio"ht  be  some  foundation  for  the  adventure  re- 
lated ;  Bamtouillet  having  been  Idlled  on  the  eve  of  the 
day  he  annomiced  the  fact,  and  there  not  having  elapsed 
time  enough  for  the  information  to  be  received  by  nat- 
ural means.  The  event  w^as  much  canvassed  in  Paris, 
but  attributed  to  a  heated  brain,  in  spite  of  the  testimony 
of  some  wdio  had  examined  the  case  seriously.  The 
prediction  was,  however,  shortly  verified  ;  for  on  the  mar- 
quis's recovery,  at  the  commencement  of  the  civil  wars, 
he  proceeded  at  once  to  the  scene  of  action,  in  spite  of 
the  urgent  entreaties  of  his  father  and  mother,  Avho 
dreaded  the  fulfillment  of  the  prophecy  ;  and  was  Idlled 
at  the  battle  of  Saint  Antoine." 

The  above  we  present  as  an  historical  fact.  As  such 
w^e  demand  that  it  be  met.  It  is  only  one  of  a  thou- 
sand. Philosophers  and  scientists,  such  facts  demand 
your  attention. 

We  will  only  add,  the  testimony  concerning  the 
anastasis  of  Jesus,  which  Peter  calls  infalliUe^  is  not 
half  so  good  and  well  authenticated  as  testimony  com* 


112  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

ing  to  eartli's  inhabitants  every  day,  telling  them  of  a 

*' beyond,"  another  side  to  the  river  of  death,  where 

those  we  mourn  as  lost  wait  with  outstretched  arms  to 

receive  us. 

"  It  is  a  faith  sublime  and  sure, 
That  ever  round  our  head, 
Are  hovering  on  viewless  "wings 
The  spirits  of  the  dead." 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE    BIRTH    OF    THE    SPIRIT. 

All  Subjects  Important  —  "  Ye  must  be  born  again  "  —  Nicodcmus'  Quandary  —  A 
Minister's  Opinion  —  Autlioi''s  Objection  —  Jesus' Tests — Must  be  born  out 
of  Flesh  —  Birth  of  the  Spirit  a  Resurrection  —  Not  of  Flesh  and  Blood  — 
Bible  against  it  (1  Cor.  xv.) — Natural  and  Spiritual  Body  —  Opinion  of  the 
Woman  of  Tekoah  —  Of  Job  —  Of  Jesus  —  Objections  answered  —  Mortal 
Bodies  quickened — Must  eat  Christ's  Flesh  —  Job  and  the  "Worms — Job  re- 
fers to  his  Recovery — He  did  see  God  —  Scientific  Arguments  —  Change  of 
Matter  —  Interesting  Dialogue  —  Is  the  Mind  an  Entity  —  Abraham  in  the 
Resurrection  —  Dust  returning  to  Dust —  Resurrection  a  Birth — Jesus  born 
of  the  Spirit  —  Seen  by  Clairvoyants  —  He  goes  and  comes  like  the  "Wind  — 
His  Flesh  and  Bones  —  Owasso,  the  Boots  and  the  Hand  —  His  Explanation  — 
Jesus  appears  to  Paul — Others  do  not  see  him — Test  from  Ananias  —  Jesus, 
in  showing  himself,  demonstrated  Immortality  —  Practical  Conclusions — 
Born  into  the  Other  AVorld  of  this  — Future  Happiness  and  Misery  made  by 
Life  here — Alexander  Campbell  —  The  Good  shall  shine  —  Spirits  and 
Tobacco  —  Appetites  may  be  our  Hell  hereafter  —  Admonition. 

THOUGH  very  popular,  it  is  hardly  just  to  say  of  any 
question,  ''  This  is  important,"  as  such  language 
implies  that  there  are  questions  of  no  importance  ;  which 
is  not  the  case.  Every  truth  has  its  bearing  on  every 
other  truth  ;  every  truth  received  is  a  light  by  "which 
we  may  be  enabled  to  discover  kindred  truths  ;  every 
truth  rejected  is  a  light  extinguished ;  and  darkness  is 
the  result. 

''  Ye  must  be  born  ascain,"  is  the  lanoTiao:e  of  Jesus 
to  Nicodemus  :  and  every  one  who  believes  his  Bible 
indorses  it ,  the  only  question  being.  What  is  meant  by 
beinoj  born  ao;ain  ?     TJicro  is  a  ditterenc(%  ''  wide  as  the 

8  113 


114  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

world,"  between  our  views  and  tliose  of  our  Christian 
neiglibors,  as  to  what  constitutes  the  birth  of  the  spirit. 

Jesus,  in  his  conference  with  a  member  of  the  Jewish 
senate,  said,  "  Except  a  man  be  born  again,  he  can  not 
see  tlie  kingdom  of  God."  This  astonished  Nicodemus, 
who  could  not  see  how  it  would  be  possible  for  him, 
under  the  circumstances,  to  get  into  the  kingdom  ;  for  he 
^N  as  already  an  old  man :  and  how  could  an  old  man  be 
born  ?     Jesus  answers,  — 

"  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  Except  a  man  be 
born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  can  not  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  God.  That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh 
is  flesh ;  and  that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit  is  spirit. 
INlarvel  not  that  I  said  unto  thee,  Ye  must  be  born 
again."  —  John  iii.  5-7.    . 

Sawyer  renders  this,  "  That  which  is  born  of  the 
Spirit  is  a  spirit." 

Here  the  matter  is  explained.  It  is  the  birth  of  the 
Spirit  that  Jesus  is  speaking  of,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  You 
got  your  fleshly  existence,  got  into  this  fleshly  kingdom, 
by  a  birth  of  the  flesh  ;  now,  in  order  to  enter  upon  your 
r.piritual  existence,  that  is,  your  existence  where  there 
is  no  flesh  and  blood,  you  must  be  born  of  the  Spirit. 
Don't  wonder  that  I  told  you  you  must  be  born  again." 

''  The  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth,  and  thou  hearest 
the  sound  thereof,  but  canst  not  tell  whence  it  cometli, 
and  whithc'r  it  goeth :  so  is  every  one  that  is  born  of 
the  Spirit."  —  John  iii.  8. 

When  but  a  bov,  we  once  asked  a  minister  for  an 
explanation  of  this  verse.  He  kindly  consented  to  give 
us  the  needed  light.  "  The  birth  of  the  Spirit,"  said 
he,  "  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  conversion.     All  who 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  115 

are  converted  are  born  again.  The  Spirit  is  like  tlic 
wind  ;  it  comes  and  goes,  and  you  can  not  tell  wlience  it 
comes,  or  whitlier  it  goes.  You  can  not  see  the  wind ; 
you  see  its  effects,  and  feel  it :  so  you  can  not  see  the 
Spirit ;  but  you  do  see  and  feel  its  operations  on  the 
heart." 

This  is  substantially  the  theory  of  the  orthodox  world : 
it  may  do  as  a  hypothesis ;  but  it  will  not  do  as  an  ex- 
planation of  this  text.  The  text  does  not  say,  ''  The 
Spirit  comes  and  goes  like  the  wind,"  as  this  theory 
would  have  it,  but  "  The  wind  bloweth  where  it  llsteth 
[pleaseth],  and  you  can  not  tellwdiere  it  comes  from,  or 
whither  it  goes  :  so  is  every  one  that  is  horn  of  the 
Sjnrit.^^  Thus  it  is  the  individual  born  of  the  Spirit  who 
goes  and  comes,  and  you  can  not  tell  luhere  he  goes  to  or 
comes  from.  Is  it  so  with  churchmen  ?  Can  they  go 
and  come  without  being  detected,  more  than  sinners,  who 
never  belonged  to  a  chui'ch  ?  They  can  not.  Then  we 
must  decide  that  they  have  not  experienced  the  birth 
spoken  of  in  this  text. 

We  do  not  deny  that  Christians  may  have  experienced 
a  change  :  no  doubt  they  have  ;  but  we  do  deny  that  they 
have  been  born  again.  Jesus  gives  another  test  by 
which  to  try  those  professing  to  be  born  of  the  Spirit. 
"  That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh,  and  that  which 
is  born  of  the  Spu'it  is  spirit"  (is  a  spirit.  —  Sawyer^. 
Are  not  churchmen  flesh  and  blood  in  the  same  sense 
as  sinners  who  do  not  belong  to  the  church  ?  But  those 
born  of  the  Spirit  are  no  longer  flesh. 

"  Except  a  man  be  born  again,  he  can  not  see  the 
kingdom  of  God."     We  might  ask,  Why  ?     Paul  an- 


116  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

"  Now,  this  I  say,  brethren,  that  flesh  and  blood  can  not 
inherit  the  kingdom  of  God ;  neither  doth  corruption 
inherit  incorruption."  —  1  '^or.  xv.  50. 

Tliis  whole  chapter  is  an  argument  showing  the  neces- 
sity of  a  resurrection  in  order  to  get  into  the  kingdom 
of  God,  as  Jesus  shows  the  necessity  of  a  spiritual  birth 
in  order  to  o:et  into  the  kinfrdom.  The  verse  above 
quoted  tells  why  a  resurrection  is  necessary:  it  is  because 
^^  flesh  and  blood  can  not  inherit  the  kingdom.^''  A  resur- 
rection, then,  delivers  us  from  flesh  and  blood :  the 
birth  of  the  Spirit  does  the  same.  For  this  and  other 
reasons,  we  claim  that  the  birth  of  the  Spirit  is  the 
resurrection  from  the  dead. 

Here,  before  arguing  this  point,  we  must  tell  what 
we  mean  by  the  term  "resurrection.^'  We  do  not,  by 
this  term,  mean,  as  many  others  do,  the  re-collecting  of 
the  particles  of  matter,  and  converting  them  once  more 
into  flesh,  blood,  and  bone,  and  maldng  them  live  again. 
That  can  not  be  done,  as  we  will  show.  By  the  term 
''resurrection,"  we  mean  just  what  the  Greeks  meant 
by  the  term  anastasis,  —  an  elevation.  Sometimes  they 
used  the  term  ex-anastasis.  This  will  be  found  in  Phil, 
iii.  11,  where  Paul  says,  "If  by  any  means  I  might 
attain  unto  the  resurrection  of  the  dead."  The  Greek 
is,  ex-anastasin  ton  neJcron,  which  literally  signifies, 
"  resurrection  out  of  the  dead."  How  plain  !  The  body 
dies,  and  man  is  born  out  of  it.  This  is  the  resurrec- 
tion. 

Before  attempting  to  prove  that  the  birth  of  the  Spirit 
and  resurrection  of  the  dead  are  the  same,  we  will  show 
that  the  body  never  will  be  raised  to  life. 

No  one  contends  that  there  are  any  scientific  argu- 


THE  QUESTION   SETTLED.  ll7 

nieiits  for  tlie  resuscitation  of  the  flesli.  All  science  is 
ooufessecUy  against  it :  yet  some  say,  "  The  Bible  says 
so  ;  and,  though  we  can  not  comprehend  it,  we  believe 
God  has  power  to  bring  it  about."  Now,  we  emphati- 
cally deny  that  the  Bible,  when  rightly  interpreted, 
teaches  any  such  doctrine :  on  the  other  hand,  it  is 
squarely  against  it. 

The  text  above  quoted  is  pointed  and  emphatic.  If 
the  kino-dom  of  God  is  the  state  to  be  obtained  at  the 
resurrection,  and  "  flesh  and  blood  can  not  inherit  the 
kingdom,"  then,  whatever  inference  may  be  drawn 
from  Paul's  argument  in  other  places,  he  has  here  posi- 
tively committed  himself  as  an  unbeliever  in  the  resur- 
rection of  the  flesh.  This  whole  chapter  is  worthy  of 
ati  ention :  it  is  all  devoted  to  this  resurrection  question. 
Any  one  who  will  read  this  chapter  with  the  idea  that 
Paul  is  arguing  with  Epicureans,  who  did  not  believe  in 
any  future  life  for  man,  will  discover  that  he  was  simply 
arguing  an  existence  for  man  beyond  this  mundane  life, 
and  not  urging  any  particular  form  of  resurrection,  or 
definition  of  the  term  anastasis. 

Paul  bases  the  whole  argument  on  certain  phenomena, 
which  he,  and  about  five  hundred  others,  had  witnessed. 
Christ,  he  argued,  had  been  seen  after  his  assassination  ; 
therefore  he  was  not  dead.  Christ  lived  after  he  was 
killed  ;  therefore  others  would  live  after  the  event  called 
death.  He  uro-es  that  there  is  life  for  man,  as  evinced 
by  Christ  being  seen  alive  after  his  death,  unless  the 
witnesses  who  testified  to  having  seen  him  were  false ; 
but  he  was  seen  on  so  many  occasions,  and  by  so  many, 
that  it  could  not  have  been  falsehood  or  deception.  He 
urges,  further,  that  the  witnesses  were  honest,  as  was 


118  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

proved  by  their  jeopardizing  their  lives  for  their  testi- 
mony.    In  1  Cor.  XV.  32,  he  says,  — 

"  If,  after  the  manner  of  men,  I  liave  fought  with 
beasts  at  Ephesus,  what  advantageth  it  me,  if  the  dead 
rise  not  ?  let  us  eat  and  drink  ;  for  to-morrow  we  die." 

Thus  he  stakes  his  life  on  his  hope  of  a  resurrection, 
ami,  at  the  same  time,  informs  liis  brethren  that  flesh 
and  blood  can  not  be  raised. 

When  certain  ones  ask,  "  How  are  the  dead  raised 
up  ?  and  with  what  body  do  they  come  ?  "  he  answers, 
"  Thou  sow  est  not  that  body  that  shall  be,  but  bare  grain, 
it  may  cliance  of  wheat,  or  of  some  other  grain ;  but 
God  giveth  it  a  body  as  it  hath  pleased  him,  and  to 
every  seed  his  own  body."  —  Verses  37,  38. 

Every  seed  sown  has  God's  own  body.  He  continues 
urging  that  all  bodies  are  not  eartlily ;  that  there  are 
celestial  as  well  as  terrestrial  bodies,  and,  finally,  says,  — 

"It  is  sown  a  uatural  body,  it  is  raised  a  spiritual 
body.  There  is  a  natural  body,  and  there  is  a  spirit- 
ual body."  —  Verse  44. 

All  agree  that  a  better  rendering  would  be,  "It  is 
sown  an  animal  body,  it  is  raised  a  sjnritiial  body.  There 
is  an  animal  hody^  and  there  is  a  sjnritual  hody.''^^  Now 
we  inliabit  an  animal  body ;  when  born  of  the  Spirit,  we 
shall  inhabit  the  spiritual  body.  Then  will  w^e  have 
dropped  "  this  mortal  flesh,"  and  been  born  into  the 
higher  life,  called,. in  this  text,  "the  kingdom  of  God." 

Lest  some  sJiould  continue,  notwithstanding  the  posi- 
tive Scriptures  we  have  quoted,  to  think  that  the  flesh 
is  to  be  raised  from  the  dead,  we  will  quote  a  few  para- 
graphs from  the  "  Book  of  books,"  which  are  so  em- 
phatic, that  their  meaning  can  not  be  questioned. 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  119 

The  wise  woman  of  Tekoab,  who  went  to  David  to 
make  a  plea  in  behalf  of  his  rebellious  son,  in  the  course 
of  her  argument,  said, — 

"  For  we  must  needs  die,  and  are  as  water  spilt  on 
the  ground,  which  can  not  be  gathered  up  again  ;  neither 
doth  God  respect  any  person ;  yet  doth  he  devise  means, 
that  his  banished  be  not  expelled  from  him."  —  2  Sam. 
xiv.  14. 

In  a  proper  place  we  shall  examine  this  from  the  phi- 
losopher's point  of  view.  Then  we  shall  show  that  this 
is  literally  true.  That  which  goes  to  the  ground  can 
not  he  gathered  up  again. 

Job,  when  he  thought  himself  on  his  death-bed, 
said,  — 

"  As  the  cloud  is  consumed,  and  vanisheth  away,  so 
he  that  goeth  down  to  the  grave  shall  come  up  no  more. 
He  shall  return  no  more  to  his  house,  neither  shall  his 
place  know  him  any  more."  —  Job  vii.  9,  10. 

Stronger  language  could  not  be  used.  How  persons 
can  pretend  to  believe  the  Bible,  and  yet  argue  a  resus- 
citation of  the  flesh,  in  the  face  of  such  positive  declara- 
tions, we  can  not  conceive.  Comments  on  such  para- 
graphs would  be  like  holding  up  a  rushlight,  by  which 
to  view  the  shining  sun. 

Again  :  this  same  poet  has  said,  — 

"  But  man  dieth  and  wasteth  away :  yea,  man  giveth 
up  the  ghost,  and  where  is  he  ?  As  the  waters  fail 
from  the  sea,  and  the  flood  decayeth  and  dryeth  up,  so 
man  lieth  down  and  risetli  not :  till  the  heavens  be  no 
more,  they  shall  not  awake,  nor  be  raised  out  of  their 
sleep."  —  Job  xiv.  10-12. 

Until  the  heavens  be  no  more  is  the  longest  time  he 


120  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED, 

coukl  fix.  If  this  text  is  true,  man  never  can  come 
out  of  tlie  grave  ;  for  the  graves  where  men  sleep  are  all 
in  t]ie  earth  :  but,  when  the  heavens  pass  away,  earth 
with  all  its  graves  passes  too.     Jolm  says,  — 

"  And  1  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth ;  for  the 
first  heaven  and  the  first  earth  were  passed  away :  and 
tlierc  was  no  more  sea."  —  Rev.  xxi.  1. 

Again :  he  says,  "  And  I  saw  a  great  white  throne, 
and  liim  that  sat  on  it,  from  whose  face  the  earth  and 
the  heaven  fled  away  ;  and  there  was  found  no  place  for 
them."  —  Rev.  xx.  11. 

Now,  we  submit,  that  if  heaven,  and  earth  with  all  its 
cemeteries  filled  with  dead  bodies,  is  gone  so  that  it  can 
not  he  founds  and  the  dead  are  not  raised  out  of  the  earth 
until  after  that  time,  as  Job  asserts,  the  chance  for  the 
resurrection  of  dead  bodies  is  so  small,  that  we  do  not 
wonder  that  Watts  said,  — 

"  Great  God,  on  what  a  slender  thread 
Hang  all  eternal  things  !  " 

Jesus,  in  his  conversation  with  the  Sadducees,  proves 
the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  by  the  fact  that  God 
was  said  to  be  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob, 
after  they  had  been  dead  several  hundred  years.  "  But," 
said  he,  "  God  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the 
living :  "  so  all  these  patriarchs  are  alive.  His  words 
are,  — 

''  Now  that  the  dead  are  raised^  even  Moses  showed 
at  tlie  bush,  when  he  calletli  the  Lord  the  God  of  Abra- 
ham, and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob ;  for 
lie  is  not  a  God" of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living;  for  all 
live  unto  him."  —  Luke  xx.  37,  38. 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  121 

Now,  in  all  candid  honesty,  permit  us  to  ask  our  read- 
ers. Do  you  believe  that  the  dead  are  raised^  as  Jesus 
asserted,  and  was  proved  to  Moses  by  the  angel  in  the 
bush  ?  or  do  you  look  forward  to  a  time  in  the  distant 
future  when  the  dead  shall  be  raised  ?  We  assert,  with- 
out fear  of  successful  contradiction,  that  the  doctrine  of 
a  physical  resurrection  is  made  for  and  not  hy  the  Bible. 

As  the  positions  of  our  opposers  on  this  subject  can  not 
well  come  under  the  head  of  objections,  we  will  proceed 
to  an  explanation  of  such  biblical  expressions  as  are  sup- 
posed to  teach  the  resurrection  of  the  body. 

Perhaps  nothing  in  the  Bible  is  relied  on  to  prove  the 
resurrection  of  the  flesh  more  than  the  following :  "  But, 
if  the  Spirit  of  Him  that  raised  up  Jesus  from  the  dead 
dwell  in  you,  he  that  raised  up  Christ  from  the  dead 
shall  also  quicken  your  mortal  boches  by  his  Spirit  that 
dwelleth  in  you."  —  Rom.  viii.  11. 

This  text  says  not  one  word  about  the  remaking  and 
revivifying  of  dead  bodies.  It  only  speaks  of  the  quick- 
ening of  mortal  bodies.  There  is  a  vast  difference  be- 
tween a  mortal  body  and  a  dead  body.  Oui'  mortal 
body  has  been  quickened  a  number  of  times,  and  that 
by  a  spu'it-power;  but  there  never  w^as  a  dead  body 
raised  to  life.  It  would  seem  that  the  theory  of  a  resur- 
rection of  the  animal  body  must  be  hard  pressed  for 
evidence  wdien  it  grasps  at  such  "straws:"  truly,  it 
remmds  us  of  the  proverb  concerning  "  drowning 
men." 

"  You  speak,"  said  an  opponent  in  debate  with  us, 
"  against  the  resurrection  of  the  flesh.  Job  says,  his  flesh 
shall  be  raised  from  the  dead :  I  believe  in  taking  the 
Bible  as  it  reads." 


122  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

"  Very  well,"  said  we,  "let  us  take  a  paragraph  liter- 
ally.    Jesus  says,  — 

" '  I  am  the  living  bread  wliich  came  down  from 
heaven.  If  any  man  eat  of  this  bread,  he  shall  live  for 
ever ;  and  the  bread  that  I  will  give  is  my  flesh,  which 
I  will  give  for  the  life  of  the  world.  The  Jews,  there- 
fore, strove  among  themselves,  saying.  How  can  this 
man  give  us  his  flesh  to  eat  ?  Then  Jesus  said  unto  them. 
Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Except  ye  eat  the  flesh  of 
tlie  Son  of  man,  and  drink  his  blood,  ye  have  no  life  in 
you.  Whoso  eatetli  my  flesh  and  drinketh  my  blood 
hath  eternal  life  ;  and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  last  day. 
For  my  flesh  is  meat  indeed,  and  my  blood  is  drink  in- 
deed. He  that  eateth  my  flesh  and  drinketh  my  blood 
dwelleth  in  me,  and  I  in  him.  As  the  living  Father 
hath  sent  me,  and  I  live  by  the  Father,  so  he  that  eat- 
eth me,  even  he  shall  live  by  me.  This  is  that  bread 
which  came  down  from  heaven  :  not  as  J^our  fathers  did 
eat  manna,  and  are  dead.  He  that  eateth  of  this  bread 
shall  hve  for  ever.'  "  —  John  vi.  51-58. 

Shall  we  all  turn  cannibals  because  Jesus  said,  "  Ex- 
cept ye  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  man,  and  drink  his 
blood,  ye  have  no  life  in  you  "  ?  It  is,  according  to  a 
strictly  literal  rendering  of  this  passage,  our  only  chance 
for  salvation.  If  those  who  believe  in  a  fleshly  resurrec- 
tion could  find  as  positive  a  declaration  that  the  flesh 
should  come  out  of  the  grave,  as  this,  that  Christians 
must  eat  the  flesh  and  drink  the  blood  of  Jesus,  with 
what  eagerness  would  they  grasp  it !  Do,  Christians,  in 
heaven's  name,  be  consistent !  Now,  we  deny  that  Job 
or  any  other  Bible  writer  said  that  his  flesh  should 
come  out  of  the  grave  :  on  the  other  hand,  we  have 
shown  that  he  said  just  the  opposite. 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  123 

Here  is  the  text  supposed  to  teacli  a  physical  anas- 
tasis. 

"  Oh  that  my  words  were  now  written  !  oli  that  the}; 
were  printed  in  a  book  !  that  they  were  graven  with  an 
iron  pen  and  lead  in  the  rock  for  ever !  for  I  know  that 
my  Redeemer  liveth,  and  that  he  shall  stand  at  the  lat- 
ter day  upon  the  earth.  And  though  after  my  skin  worms 
destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my  flesh  shall  I  see  God,  whom 
1  shall  see  for  myself,  and  mine  eyes  shall  behold,  and 
not  another,  though  my  reins  be  consumed  within  me." 
—  Jobxix.  23-27. 

If  this  text  teaches  a  material  resurrection,  Job  square- 
ly disputes  in  it  what  he  said  in  chapters  vii.,  xiv.,  and 
xvi.  This  we  can  not  accuse  Job  of  doing.  This  text 
has  no  more  reference  to  the  future  of  this  hfe  than 
thouo:h  tliere  was  no  future  for  man.  Let  it  be  remem- 
bered  that  Job  was  greatly  afflicted  at  this  time ;  his 
friends  had  forsaken  him,  he  was  covered  with  sore  boils 
from  the  crown  of  his  head  to  the  sole  of  his  feet  (see 
Job  ii.  7)  ;  that  his  wife  advised  him  to  curse  God  and 
die  (Job  ii.  9).  This  disease  was  caused  by  an  animal- 
cule preying  upon  his  flesh  :  so  that  Job  says,  "  My  flesh 
is  clothed  with  worms  and  clods  of  dust;  my  skin  is 
broken,  and  become  loathsome."  —  Job  vii.  5. 

In  this  very  speech,  he  states  that  his  friends,  wife, 
servants,  and  all,  had  forsaken  him :  though  he  en- 
treated his  wife  for  his  children's  sake,  yet  she  turned 
against  him.  His  bone  cleaved  to  his  skhi,  and  he  es- 
caped vdth  the  skin  of  his  teeth.  He  then  breaks  out 
in  the  language  just  quoted,  expressing  his  confidence 
that  he  will  recover,  though  worms  were  consuming  his 
flesh.     Job  did  recover,  and  became  a  hearty  old  man. 


124  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

"  All,  but  Job  said,  '  In  my  flesh  shall  I  see  God.'  Did 
he  see  God  ?  "  We  answer  most  emphatically,  "  He  did." 
The  ancients  saw  God  in  bodily  health  and  its  attendant 
blessings.  God  was  anciently  in  every  gentle  breeze, 
in  the  warm  sunshine,  the  genial  shower ;  in  fact,  in 
every  pleasant  sensation.  When  God  withdrew  his  face, 
then  the  storm,  the  bhght,  the  mildew,  and  pestilence 
raged ;  then  it  was  that  disease  preyed  vipon  its  victims. 
By  and  by  the  face  of  God  was  again  seen ;  and  peace, 
liap})iness,  and  prosperity  was  the  result. 

Reader,  this  is  not  imagination  :  Ave  are  not  left  to 
guess  on  this  point.     After  Job's  recovery,  God  answers 
him  in  such  a  way,  that  Job  is  convinced  that  he  is  hold 
ing  converse  with  the  Infinite.     Then  Job  says,  — 

''  I  have  heard  of  thee  by  the  hearing  of  the  ear . 
but  now  mine  eye  seeth  thee.  Wherefore  I  abhor  my- 
self, and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes."  —  Job  xlii.  5,  6. 

Thus  every  part  of  the  text  was  fulfilled  without  a 
resurrection. 

Now,  liavhig  shown  that  the  doctrine  of  a  physical 
resurrection  is  not  a  Bible  doctrine,  we  propose  to  take 
it  from  modern  theologians,  by  showing  that  it  is  an 
impossibility,  and  therefore  could  not  be  true,  even  if 
it  were  tauo-ht  in  the  Bible. 

It  is  now  an  almost  universally  conceded  fact  that  the 
entire  matter  of  the  human  frame  changes  as  often  as 
once  in  seven  years.  Not  Jong  since,  however,  it  waf 
our  Ibrtune  to  hold  a  pul)lic  discussion  with  a  minister, 
who  pretended  to  some  knowledge  of  science,  who  de- 
nied  this  fact,  and,  to  prove  himself  correct  in  his  denial, 
triumphantly  stripped  up  his  sleeve  to  show  a  scar  on 
b;s    arm    that    he    had    carried    nearly   forty   years. 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  125 

^  riiere,^  said  this  oracle  of  antiquated  theology,  ''  why 
d^  /  irot  that  scar  go  when  matter  was  passing  off?  '* 
Ht'  migiit  as  well  have  asked  why  his  eye  or  ear  did  not 
pass  off  \Yit\\  other  matter.  This  reminds  us  that  we 
once  made  the  assertion  that  there  is  no  inertia :  every 
particle  of  steel  in  the  razor-hlade  revolves  around  its 
fellow  particle  w3th  all  the  precision  that  planets  move 
in  their  courses.  ^'  Why,"  said  an  astonished  opponent, 
"  that  is  self-e  vide  Ally  false.  I  put  my  razor  away,  and 
always  find  it  where  1  left  it,  which  could  not  be  the 
case  if  it  were  mov.hi^  all  the  time."  The  poor  man 
could  not  see  the  differ ^'tice  between  particles  revolving 
around  each  other,  and  r^/.ors  moving  off  in  bulk.  So 
w^ith  this  minister  and  his  sear ;  the  truth  is,  the  scar 
had  passed  off  several  times  within  the  period  named, 
but  each  particle  had  retained  its  place  until  crow^ded 
out  by  another  just  like  it ;  so  that  the  size  and  shape  of 
the  scar  was  not  changed  in  the  operation  more  than  a 
pyramid  of  apples  w^ould  change  by  a  purchaser  buying 
an  apple  from  the  pyramid,  and  the  grocer  dropping 
another  in  its  place. 

For  the  benefit  of  Adventists,  and  all  uiJiers  who  can 
not  see  any  thing  of  man  but  flesh  and  6icx)d,  we  Avill 
re  view"  this  position  at  length. 

Imamne  the  followino;  dialoijue  between  ai^  elder  of 
tlie  materialistic  school,  who  can  see  no  future  for  man 
other  than  by  a  physical  resurrection,  and  a  phuosopher, 
whose  researches  prevent  his  acceptance  of  that  theory. 

Elder.  — ''  ]Man  is  to  be  raised  out  of  the  ground, 
'  and  the  sea  shall  give  up  the  dead  which  are  in  it.' " 

Philosopher.  —  "  How  can  that  be,  since  matter  is 
continuallv  changing,  and  man  docs  not,  any  one  yef\"5j^^ 


126  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

Ills  lilo,  possess  the  same  body  lie  had  any  previous  year  ? 
Beside,  is  not  the  spirit  or  mind  the  real  man  ?  what  need 
of  a  remoldino;  and  brinmn^]^  to  life  of  the  flesh  ?  " 

Eld.  —  "  Ah,  friend  !  you  err  in  two  points.  First, 
let  me  inform  you  that  mind  is  not  an  entity,  as  you  sup- 
pose, it  is  only  a  function  of  the  brain.  Brain  grinds  out 
thouixht.  Mind  is  the  result  of  the  oro;anization,  and 
proper  combination  with  the  atmosphere,  of  the  machin- 
ery called  man,  as  the  keeping  of  time  is  the  result  of 
the  oriianization  and  settino;  in  motion  of  the  machine 
called  the  watch.  Second,  that  matter  does  not  change 
as  yon  supi)Ose,  I  will  prove  by  a  scar  that  I  have 
carried  more  than  forty  years." 

Phil.  —  "  As  to  your  first  position,  it  is  either  true 
or  false.  If  true,  your  si^cond  argument  is  not  needed. 
If  false,  your  second  argument  will  only  fall  of  its  own 
weight.  If  the  identity  of  man  is  not  preserved,  there 
can  be  no  resurrection ;  possibly  there  could  be  a  new 
creation.  God  could  make  a  man  out  of  every  stone 
in  the  '  Granite  State  ; '  but  he  can  not  make  Abraham 
or  Moses  out  of  these  stones,  from  the  fact  that  identity 
consists,  in  part  at  least,  of  the  memory  of  past  events ; 
and  those  men  made  of  stones  could  not  recognize  them- 
selves as  beino;  the  Abraham  and  Moses  of  old.  Neither 
could  the  particles  of  matter  Avhich  constituted  the 
physical  of  Abraham  and  Moses  at  any  one  time  be 
the  same  Abraham  and  Moses,  for  the  reason  that  the 
mind  of  these  men  was  the  result  of  their  organization, 
and,  being  dependent  on  the  organism,  could  not  exist 
after  the  physical  man  was  chsorganized." 

Eld.  —  "  Let  me  interrupt  you  :  you  are  partly  cor- 
i.r.s'"  and  partly  incorrect.      The  mind  ceases  to  exist 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  127 

when  the  bram,  its  fountain,  ceases  to  act;  hut  Avlien 
the  brain  i:.  re'-organizcd,  of  course  the  mind,  which  is  a 
resuh,  begins  to  act  as  before." 

Phil.  —  "  Not  so  fast.  The  old  mind  was  the  result 
of  the  old  organism,  and,  per  consequence,  ceased  to 
exist  when  the  old  brain  ceased  its  action.  The  new  mind 
is  the  result  not  of  the  old  hut  of  the  neiu  orr/anism ; 
is  ground  out  by  the  new  brain,  and,  being  the  effect 
or  function  of  the  neiu  hmin,  —  made,  for  aught  I  care, 
of  the  old  material,  —  can  not  antedate  its  existence. 
Memory,  being  a  function  of  the  mind,  can  not  go  back 
of  the  mind  out  of  which  it  proceeds ;  but  that  mind 
was  the  result  of  the  new  organism :  hence,  the  man  be- 
fore death  can  not  possibly  be  connected  with  the  man 
after  the  resurrection." 

Eld.  —  "  There  are  difficulties  ;  but  God  has  power, 
and  '  these  dry  bones  shall  live.'  The  identity  is  not 
preserved  in  the  mind,  as  that  ceases  to  exist,  but  in  the 
particles  of  matter  of  which  the  body  is  composed." 

Phil.  — "  Then  you  have  lost  your  identity  even 
Avhile  you  live,  and  at  this  moment  are  losing  part  of 
it :  for  vou  are  trimmino;  your  finger-nails.  These  nails 
are  a  part  of  the  essential  elder  with  whom  I  am  talk- 
ing, and,  if  the  particles  are  all  to  be  raised,  must  come 
up  in  the  general  resurrection,  and  be  joined  to  your 
fingers,  lest  you  should  lose  your  identity.  Your  hair, 
which  was  once  short  enough,  got  too  long,  and  you  had 
it  trimmed  last  week.  Did  you  know  the  hair  taken 
oflP  your  head  once  w^ent  into  your  stomach  as  food, 
then  went  frolicking  and  frisking  through  your  veins, 
and  from  that  time  forward  was  a  part  of  your  essential 
identity,  and  as  such  claims  a  part  in  the  resurrection- 


128  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

body  ?     Again :  in  your  tedious  spell  of  typlK)id  fever 
last  winter,  you  lost  twenty-five  pounds  of  flesh.    Where 
did  that  flesh  go  ?     It,  too,  claims  a  part  in  the  resur- 
rection-body.     Notwithstanding  your  friends  supposed 
you  would  die,  you  recovered ;  that  is,  all  except  the 
twenty-flvc  pounds  of  you  which  died  and  left  you.     As 
soon  as  you  became  convalescent,  your  appetite  began  to 
return,  you  ate  more  heartily  than  before,  and,  as  a  re- 
sult, found  yourself  increasing  in  weight  at  the  rate  of 
a  pound  a  day,  until  you  weighed  more   than  before 
your    sickness.       Where    did   this    second   twenty-five 
pounds  of  flesh  come  from  ?     Where  Avas  it  while  you 
were  wearing  the  flesh  you  lost  during  your  sickness  ? 
Let  me  tell  you.     Part  of  it  was  in  the  apple-orchard, 
in  the  shape  of  unripe  fruit.     Some  of  it  was  in  the 
garden  and  potato  patch ;  some  swimming  in  the  ocean, 
in    the    shape    of    codfish   and   mackerel ;    some  of  it 
growing  in  the  coffee  and  tea  fields  ;  other  portions  were 
in  the  air,  the  water,  &c.     Now,  your  present  flesh  is 
as  much  a  part  of  you  as  that  you  lost,  and  vice  versd. 
Which  will  you  have  raised  from  th«  dead,  —  the  first, 
or  the  second?     One  has  died,  the  other  w^ill  die.    Will 
you  have  both   raised  ?     Then,  why  not  have  all  the 
matter  that  ever  formed  a  part  of  your  body  brought 
back  to  it  ?     Abraham  lived  a  hundred  and  seventy-five 
years :    that  was  long  enough  to  wear  out  twenty-five 
bodies.     Which  one  of  these  bodies  shall  be  brought  up 
from  the  grave  ?     Or  shall  all  of  them  come  up  ?     If 
so,  there  wall  be  '  giants  in  those  days.'      Abraham  ivill 
have  a  heard  forty  feet  long^  and  can  not  weigh  less  than 
tivo  tons.'' 

Eld.  —  "  You  ask  questions  faster  than  I  can  answer 


THE  QUESTION  SETTLED.  129 

them.  Some  questions  can  not  be  answered.  We  re- 
ceive certain  statements  because  God  made  them,  not 
because  we  can  answer  every  question  concerning  them. 
You  ask,  Which  one  of  Abraham's  bodies  will  come  to 
life  ?  We  have  an  example  furnished  us  in  the  resur- 
rection of  our  Saviour.  The  same  body  that  died  was 
the  one  raised:   so  it  will  be  in  the  case  of  Abraham." 

Phil.  —  "  But   Abraham's  twenty-five   bodies  each 
died,  one  no  more  than  another.     Not  a  particle  of  mat- 
ter passed  from  either  body  till  the  body  had  used  up 
all  the  life  it  could  appropriate,  and  its  very  death  sent 
it  fi'om  the  body  to  feed  the  life  of  vegetation ;  and,  as 
it  was  resurrected  in  vegetation,  it  was  eaten  by  animals 
and  men,  and,  in  turn,  took  its  place  in  other  bodies, 
ad  infinitum.     If  you  present  the  case  of  Jesus  as  an 
examjyle  to  prove  that  the  last  body  that  dies,  or  the  one 
that  dies  all  at  once,  is  the   one  to  be  raised,  you  are 
mifortunate :   for  the  case  selected  proves  the  contrary. 
If  Jesus'  body  that  w^as  killed  came  up  from  the  grave, 
that,  instead  of  proving  that  others  will  have  a  similar 
experience,  proves  directly  the  contrary.     Jesus'  body 
Avas  made  of  what  he  ate,  drank,  and  breathed  ;  but  the 
corn  that  he  and  his  disciples  plucked  and  ate  on  the 
sabbath  day,  as  well  as  all  other  food  that  ever  went  into 
his  stomcich,  had  been  fattened  on  the  dead:  it  drew  its 
life  from   the  decomposition  of  animal  and  vegetable 
bodies.     Thus  all  of  Jesus'  body  was  made  by  the  death 
of  other  bodies  ;  but  his  body,  according  to  your  theory, 
was  brought  up  out  of  the  tomb,  revivified,  and  taken 
to  heaven. 

"  Now  think  of  the  general  resurrection,  when  millions 
upon  millions  of  bocUes  shall  be  called  from  their  beds 

9 


130  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

of  dust.     Among  them  are  the  martyrs,  whose  bodieg* 
were  burned  to  ashes,  and  the  ashes  scattered  to  the 
four  wmds  by  tlicir  persecutors,  to  prevent  their  resur- 
rection :  thus  their  ashes  have  fattened  the  soil  of  earth, 
as  our  southern  battle-fields  were  fattened  by  the  flesh, 
blood,  and  bones  of  poor  soldiers.     This  soil  has  pro- 
duced vegetation,  which  has  been  eaten  by  the  '  cattle 
upon  a  thousand  hills.'     The  cattle,  made  fat  upon  that 
which  was  once  flesh  of  our  flesh  and  bone  of  our  bone, 
have,  in  their  turn,  been  slain  and  eaten  up  to  suj)ply 
other  bodies  with  aliment.     The  fluids  of  these  bodies 
whose  solids  have  thus  been  scattered  have  a  thousand 
times  arisen  in  the  atmosphere,  and  a  thousand  times 
been  condensed,  and  fallen  in  '  gentle  dew  and  summer 
showers,'  only  to  be  evaporated  to  again  fall  to  water 
the  earth,  wash  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic,  or  be  drunk 
by  man  and  beast :  thus  these  particles  of  matter,  after 
having  existed  in  ten  thousand  forms,  and,  for  aught  we 
can  know  to  the  contrary,  in  a  thousand  bodies,  at  tlie 
moment  of  death  must  be  raised  from  the  dead,  when, 
to  say  the  least,  Jesus  had  taken  part  of  them  and  gone 
to  heaven !  " 

Eld.  —  "I  must  go.     Good-day." 

PniL.  —  "  Don't  go  yet ;  I  find  some  figures  here 
made  to  my  hand,  which  I  wish  you  to  hear  me  read  :  — 

"  '  Dust  returning  to  Dust.  — It  is  asserted  by  sci- 
entific writers  that  the  number  of  persons  who  have  exist- 
ed on  our  globe  since  the  beginning  of  time  amounts  to 
30,627, 843, 278,075, 256.  These  figures,  when  divided 
by  3,095,000  (the  number  of  square  leagues  on  the 
globe),  give  11,320,680,732  square  miles  of  land  ; 
which,  being  divided  as  before,  give  1,314,622,076  per- 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  131 

sons  to  each  square  mile.  If  we  reduce  these  miles  to 
square  rods,  tlie  number  will  be  1,853,174,600,000  ; 
which,  divided  in  like  manner,  will  give  1,283  inhabitants 
to  each  square  rod,  and  these,  being  reduced  to  feet,  will 
give  about  five  persons  to  each  square  foot  of  terra  firma. 
It  will  thus  be  perceived  that  our  earth  is  a  vast  ceme- 
tery. On  each  square  rod  of  it,  1,283  human  beings 
lie  buried;  each  rod  being  scarcely  sufficient  for  ten 
graves,  with  each  grave  containing  128  persons.  Tlie 
whole  surface  of  the  earth,  therefore,  has  been  dug  over 
128  times  to  bury  its  dead.'  From  this  extract,  it  will 
be  seen  that  there  is  not  dust  enough  now,  if  all  the 
soil  were  converted  to  dust,  to  remake  all  the  bodies  that 
have  existed  on  earth." 

Eld.  — "  These  difficulties  are  not  for  me  to  settle  : 
I  only  receive  the  Bible.  If  you  hope  to  find  a  theo- 
loo-lcal  system  with  no  difficulties  in  its  way,  all  I  have 
to  say  is,  you  are  having  a  bootless  search.     Good-day." 

Yes  :  the  elder  thinks  he  has  the  Bible  ;  and,  lilce  thou- 
sands of  others  who  never  had  a  liberal  thought,  it  is 
all  he  asks.  Those  who  have  read  this  book  thus  far, 
can,  perhaps,  decide  whether  it  is  the  Bible,  or  merely 
his  ipse  dixit^  that  teaches  his  peculiar  views  of  the 
resurrection. 

Now,  having  shown  fi-om  the  Bible  and  science,  that 
the  anastasis  must  be  a  sjnritiial,  and  not  a  physical 
event,  we  will  pass  to  our  main  proposition,  viz.,  that 
the  spiritual  birth  is  the  resurrection. 

The  resurrection  is  several  times  said  to  b(^a  birth. 
Paul  says  of  Jesus  Christ,  — 

"  And  he  is  the  head  of  the  body,  the  church  ;  who 
is  the  beginning,  the  first-bom  from  the  dead,  that  in  all 


132  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

things  he  might  haA-e  the  pre-eminence.  For  it  pleased 
tlie  Father  tliat  in  him  should  all  fullness  dwell."  —  Col. 
i.  18,  19. 

In  Rev.  i.  5,  John  says, — 

"  And  from  Jesus  Christ,  Avho  is  the  faithful  witness, 
and  the  first-begotten  of  the  dead,  and  the  prince  of  the 
lvini]i:s  of  the  earth.  Unto  him  that  loved  us,  and  washed 
us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood." 

The  word,  rendered  first-hcgotten  and  first-hom  are  the 
same  ;'  thus  we  have  the  Bible  twice  asserting  that  Jesus 
was  born  from  death.  "  But,"  says  the  objector,  "  Jesus 
was  the  ^r^^-born  from  the  dead :  how  can  that  be,  if 
every  one  who  had  died  before  him  had  experienced 
this  resurrection  ?  "  We  answer,  "  There  are  two  senses 
in  which  the  word  '  first '  is  used ;  sometimes  it  signifies 
the  first  in  numerical  order,  and  sometimes  first  in  rank 
or  importance,  as,  for  instance,  '  The  lieutenant-gen- 
eral is  the  first  militaiy  officer  in  the  United  States.' 
'  The  office  of  President  is  the  first  office  in  the  power 
of  the  American  people  to  bestow.'  The  word  rendered 
first-born  vaiA  first-hegotten  in  these  two  instances  is  the 
Greek  word  prototokos^  which  Greenfield  defines  to  be, 
'  chief,'  '  principal,'  *  beloved,'  &c." 

The  idea  of  the  text  is  not  that  Jesus  was  the  first 
one  born  from  the  dead,  but  that  he  is  chief  among  those 
who  have  experienced  this  birth.  Paul  gives  as  a  rea- 
son why  he  was  the  first-born,  "  that  in  all  things  he 
might  have  the  pre-eminence.  For  it  pleased  the  Fa- 
ther that  in  him  should  all  fullness  dwell."  John  uses 
the  term  to  signify  that  he  is  ''prince  of  the  kings  of 
the  earth."  As  Jesus  stood  in  the  front  ranks  of  re- 
formers in  this  life,  as  he  led  their  van,  so,  on  the  other 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  133 

side,  in  tlic  kingdom  to  which  he  is  now  born,  he  occu- 
pies the  front  position.  In  this  sense,  and  this  alone, 
he  is  first  among  those  born  from  the  dead. 

Jesus  gives  two  tests  by  which  to  try  those  born  of 
the  Spirit. 

1st,  "  That  wdiich  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh,  and  that 
which  is  born  of  the  Spirit  is  spirit." 

2d,  "  They  wdio  are  born  of  the  Spirit,  like  the  wind 
go  and  come,  and  you  can  not  tell  w^here  they  go,  or 
w- hence  they  come." 

Now,  let  us  apply  these  rules  to  Jesus  after  his  resur- 
rection. The  various  appearances  of  Jesus  are  enough 
to  convince  the  candid  reader  that  he  did  not  bring  his 
flesh  up  from  the  grave.  Had  his  flesh  been  made 
ahve,  he  could  have  been  seen  by  the  whole  Jewish 
nation  ;  and  thus  they  could  have  been  convinced  of  life 
and  immortality.  But  he  was  not  seen  by  all.  Peter 
says,  — 

"  Him  God  raised  up  the  tliird  day,  and  showed  him 
openly ;  7iot  to  all  the  peoj)U,  hut  unto  ivitnesses  chosen 
before  of  God,  even  to  us,  who  did  eat  and  drink  with 
him  after  he  rose  from  the  dead."  —  Acts  x.  40, 41. 

How  could  Jesus  have  escaped  being  seen  by  the 
multitude,  had  he  been  flesh  and  blood,  especially  if  he 
was  openly  among  them?  "  Chosen  witnesses"  alone, 
Avho  evidently  were  clairvoyant,  had  the  privilege  of 
seeing  him.     jMark  says, — 

*'  After  that  he  appeared  in  another  form  unto  two  of 
tliem,  as  they  walked,  and  went  into  the  country."  — 
Mark  xvi.  12. 

Physical  bodies  do  not  change  their  form  in  such  a 
way  as  this  text  represents ;  but  clairvoyants  of  every 


lo4  THE    QUESTION  SETTLED. 

age  of  the  world  testify  that  spirits  do  assume  different 
garbs  and  forms  to  suit  the  occasion. 

Permit  us  now  to  demote  a  few  words  to  Jesus'  second 
test.  Does  he,  after  his  birth  from  death,  come  and  go 
in  such  a  manner  that  it  can  not  be  told  whence  l.c* 
comes  and  whither  he  goes  ?     He  does.     Luke  says,  —  - 

"  .And,  behold,  two  of  them  went  that  same  day  to  a 
village  called  Emmaus,  which  was  from  Jenisalem  about 
threescore  furlongs.  And  they  talked  together  of  all 
these  things  which  had  happened.  And  it  came  to  j^ass, 
that,  while  they  communed  together  and  reasoned,  Jesus 
himself  cb'ew  near,  and  went  with  them.  But  tlicir 
eyes  were  holden  that  they  should  not  know  him. 
And  he  said  unto  them.  What  manner  of  communica- 
tions are  these  that  ye  have  one  to  another,  as  ye  walk, 
and  are  sad?"  —  Luke  xxiv.  13-17. 

Where  did  Jesus  come  from  ?  The  first  his  disciples 
knew,  he  was  journeying  with  them,  talking  with  them, 
"  reasoning  out  of  the  law  of  Moses  and  the  prophets." 
"  But  their  eyes  were  holden  that  they  should  not  know 
him."  The  "holdmg"  of  their  eyes  consisted  in  his 
appearing  in  a  form  that  they  could  not  recognize,  as 
stated  in  Mark  xvi.  12. 

Those  born  of  the  Spirit  are  not  only  to  come  in  this 
mysterious  manner,  but  they  are  to  go  quite  as  unac- 
countably.    Luke,  in  this  same  narrative,  proceeds  :  — 

''  And  they  drew  nio;h  unto  the  villao;e  whither  they 
went ;  and  he  made  as  though  he  would  have  gone  fur- 
ther. But  they  coi^u^trained  him,  saying.  Abide  with  us 
for  it  is  toward  evening,  and  the  day  is  far  spent.  And 
he  went  in  to  tarry  with  them  And  it  came  to  pass, 
as  he  sat  at  meat  with  them,  he  took  bread,  and  blessed 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  135 

it,  and  brake,  and  gave  to  them.  And  tliclr  eyes  were 
opened,  and  they  knew  him ;  and  he  vanished  out  of 
their  sight."  — Mark  xvi.  28-32. 

Here  Jesus  has  vanished  ov  faded  out  of  their  sight, 
as  spirits  vanish  from  the  sight  of  media  every  day. 
Now  he  has  gone,  and  they  could  not  tell  whither  he 
went.  Has  he  in  this  proved  himself  born  of  the  Spirit  ? 
But  Luke  proceeds :  — 

''  And  they  said  one  to  another.  Did  not  our  heart  bum 
mthin  us  while  he  talked  with  us  by  the  way,  and 
while  he  opened  to  us  the  Scriptures  ?  And  they  rose 
up  the  same  hour,  and  returned  to  Jerusalem,  and  found 
the  eleven  gathered  together,  and  them  that  were  with 
them,  saying.  The  Lord  is  risen  indeed,  and  hath  ap- 
peared to  Simon.  And  they  told  what  things  were  done 
in  the  way,  and  how  he  was  known  of  them  in  break- 
ing of  bread.  And,  as  they  thus  spake,  Jesus  himself 
stood  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  saith  unto  them,  Peace 
be  unto  you.  But  they  were  terrified  and  affrighted, 
and  supposed  that  they  had  seen  a  spirit.  And  he  said 
unto  them.  Why  are  ye  troubled  ?  and  why  do  thoughts 
arise  in  your  hearts  ?  Behold  my  hands  and  my  feet, 
that  it  is  I  myself.  Handle  me  and  see  ;  for  a  spmt  hath 
not  flesh  and  bones  as  ye  see  me  have.  And,  when  he 
had  thus  spoken,  he  showed  them  his  hands  and  his  feet. 
7^1  d  wliile  they  yet  believed  not  for  joy,  and  wondered, 
he  said  unto  them.  Have  ye  here  any  meat  ?  And  they 
gave  him  a  piece  of  a  broiled  fish,  and  of  a  honeycomb. 
And  he  took  it,  and  did  eat  before  them."  —  Mark  xvi. 
32-43. 

One  point  in  this,  that  of  fastening  the  doors,  we  will 
leave  John  to  bring  to  light.     It  is  enough  for  us  at 


136  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

present  to  know,  that,  when  they  first  saw  Jesus,  they 
only  saw  dim,  shadowy  outhnes ;  for  it  is  not  until 
Jesus  calls  attention  to  his  hands  and  feet,  that  they  saw 
them. 

''  Ah,"   said   Elder  G ,   ''  you   have   the  wrong 

text  here ;  for  he  tuas  not  a  sjnrit,  as  his  disciples  sup- 
posed, and  as  you  suppose  ;  hut  he  had  flesh  and  hones : 
so  the  text  is  positive  proof  of  the  physical  resurrection." 

Not  so  fast.  If  the  rendering  of  the  text  is  correct, 
the  disciples  supposed  they  had  seen  a  spirit,  Avliich  is 
positive  proof  that  they  believed  not  only  in  the  exist- 
ence of  spirits,  but  that  they  could  return,  and  make 
themselves  manifest.  So  far,  we  will  set  the  text  down 
as  a  positiv^e  proof  of  Spiritualism. 

NoAv  for  a  few  words  of  criticism.  If  the  reader  will 
turn  to  the  margin  of  Greenfield's  Greek  Testament,  or 
to  Griesbach's  Greek  Testament,  he  will  find  the  word 
rendered  "  spirit,"  in  this  instance,  is  not  the  w^ordp/zezt- 
ma^  wdiich  is  rendered  "spirit"  more  than  a  hundred 
times  in  the  New  Testament,  but  phantasina^  which  is 
defined  to  be  a  phantom ;  that  is,  an  <ippearance,  some- 
thing not  real,  some  such  spirit  as  the  drunkard  sees 
when  he  has  the  delirium  tremens.  With  this  inter- 
jDretati on,  which  no  scholar  wall  dispute,  Jesus  does  not 
deny  being  a  spirit :  he  only  denies  being  a  j^hantom^ 
"  the  stufi:'  that  dreams  are  made  of."  "  But  he  claims 
to  have  flesh  and  bones,  so  he  must  have  had  a  physical 
body."  No,  dear  reader :  you  have  not  read  that  cor- 
rectly. He  does  not  claim  to  have  flesh  and  bones,  but 
claims  to  ap2:)ear  to  have  them.  The  text  does  not  say, 
"  A  spirit  has  not  flesh  and  bones  as  I  have,"  but  "  as 
ye  see  me  kxve''    The  word  rendered  "see  "  in  this  in- 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  137 

stance  is  theosU,  a  word  wliicli  signifies  an  appearaiice, 
and  not  a  reality.  The  idea  of  the  text  is,  that  the 
flesh  and  bones  were  not  a  realiti/,  but  an  ajipearance 
for  the  occasion.  Do  you  ask  how  this  can  be.?  We 
frankly  acknowledge  we  can  not  tell :  we  only  know, 
from  this  text  and  from  experience,  that  it  is  so. 

It  has  been  our  good  fortune  to  travel  some  Avith  Dr. 
Henry  Slade,  an  individual  whom  we  can  recommend 
anywhere  as  being  a  medium  through  whom  satisfac- 
tory evidence  of  immortality  can  be  given  to  any  honest 
inquirer.  Early  in  the  month  of  October,  1864,  we 
staid  all  night  with  the  doctor  at  the  Waverley  House 
in  Rochester,  N.Y.  The  moon  was  shining  briUiantly ; 
and  the  windows  and  blinds,  in  consequence  of  the  ex- 
cessively warm  evening,  were  opened.  Not  long  after 
we  had  been  in  bed,  the  manifestations,  as  usual,  com- 
menced. Soon  we  saw^  our  boots  walking  about  the  room 
Avith  no  visible  feet  or  legs  in  them.  We  at  once 
addressed  the  power  thus  propelling  things  about  the 
room,  and  said,  — 

''I  have  seen  your  "manifestations  often.  I  know 
you  exist,  I  know  you  have  power ;  but  why  do  you 
never  let  me  see  you  ?  I  want  to  see  the  power  by 
wdiich  these  wonderful  things  are  done." 

The  intelligent  power  to  whom  we  addressed  this 
language  said,  "  I  will  try.  If  conditions  are  such  that 
I  can  gather  a  body  from  the  elements,  I  will  let  you 
see  me."  We  waited  long  and  patiently  for  the  prom- 
ised manifestation.  By  and  by,  however,  we  heard 
a  strange  sound,  and  looked  in  the  direction  whence 
it  proceeded,  and  saw  a  hand  and  arm  coming  toward 
us.     We  raised  up  in  bed,  reached  out  our  hand  and 


138  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

took  hold  of  the  hand,  grasped  it  with  a  firm  grip,  de- 
termined to  hold  on,  and,  if  possible,  keep  it  as  a  trophy. 
It  was  to  all  appearance  flesh  and  bone  ;  at  least  we 
would  have  sworn  it  to  be  just  such  a  hand  as  our  own, 
only  very  much  darker,  and  at  least  one-third  longer. 
Soon  we  discovered  that  the  arm  began  to  grow  shorter. 
As  we  saw  it  vanishing, 'as  Jesus  did  from  his  disci- 
ciples,  we  grasped  the  fingers  more  firmly  ;  but,  notwith- 
standing our  determination,  the  arm,  then  the  hand, 
then  the  fingers,  dissolved,  leaving  us  to  grasp  the  air. 

In  a  moment,  the  Indian  was  laughing  at  us,  and  said, 
"  You  didn't  hold  the  hand,  did  you?  " 

"  No,"  said  we  ;  "  but  we  would  like  to  know  how  you 
did  that."  He  responded,  "  I  tried  to  gather  a  body 
from  the  elements ;  but  conditions  were  not  favorable  : 
I  could  only  gather  a  hand  and  arm."  Now,  when  this 
phenomenon  is  explained,  we  can  explain  Jesus'  pro- 
ducino;  hands  and  feet  that  could  be  seen  and  felt. 

We  must  record  one  more  sentence  from  Luke  con- 
cerning; Jesus :  "  And  he  led  them  out  as  far  as  to  Beth- 
any  ;  and  he  lifted  up  his  hands,  and  blessed  them.  And 
it  came  to  pass,  while  he  blessed  them,  he  was  parted 
from  them,  and  carried  up  into  heaven."  —  Luke  xxiv. 
50,  51. 

Here  Jesus  was  parted  from  the  disciples  in  a  way 
that  physical  bodies  are  not  separated  from  each  other. 
He  was  born  of  the  Spirit.  John  says,  "  Then  the  same 
day,  at  evening,  being  the  first  day  of  the  week,  when 
the  doors  were  shut  where  the  disci])les  were  assem- 
bled for  fear  of  the  Jews,  came  Jesus,  and  stood  in  the 
midst,  and  saith  luito  them.  Peace  be  unto  you ;  and 
when  he  had  so  said,  he  showed  unto  them  his   hands 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  139 

and  his  side.  Then  were  the  disciples  glad,  when  thej? 
saw  the  Lord"  (John  xx.  10,  20).  Again  :- And 
after  eight  days,  ag^in  his  disciples  were  within,  and 
Thomas  Avith  them  :  then  came  Jesus,  the  doors  being 
shut,  and  stood  in  the  midst,  and  said,  Peace  be  unto 
you."— Verse  26. 

Here  the  doors  w^ere  shut  against  the  Jews,  fastened 
to  keep  them  out ;  but  Jesus  appeared  in  the  midst  of  a 
room  fastened  to  keep  intruders  out.  How  does  he  get 
there  ?  It  is  all  told  in  one  sentence,  He  was  born  of 
the  Spirit ;  like  the  wind  he  could  go  and  come  unper- 
ceived  by  mortal  vision. 

With  one  more  appearance  of  the  man  of  Nazareth, 
we  will    take   our  leave    of   this   department   of  this 

subject. 

"  And,  as  he  journeyed,  he  came   near  Damascus ; 
and  suddenly  there  shined  round  about  him  a  lighl?yfrom 
heaven.     And  he  fell  to  the  earth,  and  heard  a  voice 
saying  unto  him,  Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me  ? 
And  he  said.  Who  art  thou.  Lord  ?     And  the  Lord  said, 
I  am  Jesus,  whom  thou  persecutest :  it  is  hard  for  thee 
to  kick  against  the  pricks.     And  he,  trembling  and  as- 
tonished, said.  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ? 
And  the  Lord  said  unto  him.  Arise,  and  go  into  the  city, 
and  it  shall  be  told  thee  what  thou  must  do.     And  the 
men  wdiich  journeyed  with  him  stood  speechless,  hear- 
ing a  voice,  but  seeing  no  man.     And  Saul  arose  from 
the  earth ;  and,  when  his  eyes  were  opened,  he  saw  no 
man  :  but  they  led  him  by  the  hand,  and  brought  him 
into  Damascus."  —  Acts  ix.  3-8. 

Here  was  a  spirit-light,  here  w^ere   spirit-voices,  and 
Jesns  was  seen  by  Paul,  but  not  by  those  who  were 


140  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

^itl  Lim.  Paul  was  one  of  tlie- "  chosen  witnesses  "  to 
whom  "  he  showed  hnnself  alive  after  his  passdon." 
This  event  occurred  several  years  after  the  assassination 
of  Jesus.  Ananias,  in  referring  to  these  phenomena, 
says,  — 

"  Brother  Saul,  the  Lord,  even  Jesus,  that  appeared 
unto  thee  in  the  way  as  thou  earnest,  hath  sent  me,  that 
thou  mightest  receive  thy  sight,  and  be  filled  with  the 
Holy  Ghost."  —Acts  ix.  17. 

The  testimony  is  positive  :  what  more  can  be  required  ? 
Jesus  was  born  of  the  Spirit.*  After  his  appearance  on 
so  many  occasions,  under  so  many  circumstances,  and 
presenting  again  and  again  such  varied  and  unmistaka- 
ble evidence  of  a  life  after  death,  who  can  but  airree 
with  Paul  when  he  says,  — 

"  But  is  now  made  manifest  by  the  appearance  of  our 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  abolished  death,  and 
hath  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light  through  the 
gospel."  — 2  Tim.  i.  10. 

If  his  numerous  appearances  have  not  been  enough 
to  demonstrate  immortality  to  those  who  saw  him,  they 
are  beyond  the  reach  of  evidence. 

If  the  foregoing  is  true,  and  its  truth  can  not  be  ques- 
tioned by  the  believer  in  the  Bible,  each  one  at  death 
is  born  into  another  world,  —  born  with  the  education, 
ability,  and  experience  obtained  in  this.  Who  has  not 
thought,  as  he  has  grown  old,  and  worn  himself  out  in 
learning  the  lessons  of  life,  "  If  I  could  only  be  placed 
back  to  the  days  of  my  childhood,  with  the  experience 
I  have  gained  in  this  world,  what  a  man  I  would  be  by 
the  time  I  arrived  at  my  present  age  a  second  time  !  " 
Take,  for  example,  such  statesmen  as  Daniel  Webster 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  141 

and  Henry  Clay,  men  who  spent  a  lifetime  in  picking 
up  an  education  :  must  sucli  enter  the  spirit-world  as  ig- 
norant as  an  infant  of  days  ?  Altixander  Campbell  spent 
a  lifetime  in  gathering  pebbles  from  the  ocean  of  knowl- 
edge, until,  finally,  he  gained  the  best  knowledge  of  the 
Bible,  its  history,  the  country  where  it  originated,  the 
people  among  whom  it  originated,  and  all  connected 
with  it,  of  any  person  we  ever  met  who  viewed  it 
fi'om  his  standpoint.  When  he  died,  did  that  knowledge 
die  ?  Did  he  live  more  than  eighty  years  to  pick  up  a 
few  of  the  lessons  of  life,  and  then  che  and  forget  all? 
No.  He  lived  long  enough  to  learn  well  some  things 
pertaining  to  man,  and  then  was  born  again,  —  born 
into  a  better,  higher  life,  in  a  countiy  where  he  could 
use    the    knowledge    he   pm'sued    so    ardently   in    this 

world. 

Not  only  is  the  resurrection  a  birth,  but  all  are  born 
into  the  other  life  with  the  peculiarities  which  attached 
to  them  in  this.  Paul  teaches,  that  as  there  are  differ- 
ent kinds  of  flesh,  as  there  is  one  glory  of  the  sun, 
and  another  of  the  moon,  as  star  differeth  from  star 
in  glory,  so  is  the  resurrection   of  the   dead.     Daniel 

says,  — 

"  And  they  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  brightness 
of  the  firmament ;  and  they  that  turn  many  to  right- 
eousness, as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever."  — Dan.  xn.  3. 

In  the  world  beyond,  no  one  shines  with  a  borrowed 
lin-ht.  Each  one  in  the  hereafter  reflects  what  his  life 
here  makes  him  there.  This  is  exhibited  in  no  one  place 
as  prominently  as  in  spirit  manifestations.  Take,  ior 
example,  those  in  the  Bible.  Elijah  the  prophet,  while 
on  earth,  was  always  cursing ;  cm'sed  Ahab,  cursed  Jeze- 


142  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

bel.  cursed  over  four  hundred  of  liis  fellow  prophets. 
He  was  as  perfect  a  misanthrope  as  overlived:  he  lived 
the  life  of  a  hermit,  preferring  the  society  of  wild  beasts 
and  ravens  to  men  and  women.  By  and  by  he  passed 
to  the  spirit-world,  and  it  seemed  to  be  his  mission  to  curse 
after  he  got  there.  The  written  communication  which 
he  oave  to  Kino;  Jehoram  seemed  to  be  as  full  of  de- 
nunciation  as  any  thing  he  could  have  written  with  his 
own  hand  or  uttered  through  his  own  organism  while 
upon  earth.  When  he  influenced  John  the  Baptist,  he 
made  him  manifest  all  of  his  idiosyncrasies,  even  to  that 
of  making  his  home  in  the  wilderness,  and  denouncing 
everybody  to  wliom  he  preached ;  insomuch  that  the 
Bible  hardly  needs  to  state  that  "  he  shall  go  out  in  the 
spirit  and  power  of  Elias." 

We  have  witnessed  the  same  in  modern  manifesta- 
tions. Many  have  made  merry  because  spirits  have  in- 
fluenced modern  media,  and  made  them  beg  for  tobacco 
and  whisky ;  but  it  is  a  solemn  truth,  and  one  against 
wliieli  we  should  not  close  our  eyes,  that  those  who  are 
slaves  to  tobacco  and  whisky  here,  must,  hereafter,  be 
tormented  in  the  flame  of  that  appetite. 

O  reader !  could  you  realize  this  as  we  see  it  and 
know  it,  you  would  strive  ardently  to  overcome  the 
baser  parts  of  your  nature  now.  Do,  we  beseech  you, 
think  of  the  question.  Must  I,  when  I  return  from  the 
"  land  of  the  so-called  dead,"  to  influence  media,  make 
tliem  call  for  tobacco  and  whisky?  Must  I  have  that 
longing  follow  me  through  many  years  of  spirit-life? 
^lust  I  be  set  back  years  and  years  in  the  hereafter  by 
ungoverned  appetites  and  passions  ?     Must  I  enter  the 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  143 

other  world  a  slave  to  sin,  and  spend  years  of  eteinlty 
in  fiMitincT  that  I  never  resisted  in  this  life  ? 

Angels  help  you  to  realize  these  things,  and  assert 
your  manhood  now,  so  that,  when  the  time  comes  for 
you  to  be  born  into  the  higher  life,  you  may  enter  man- 
sions prepared  by  yoiir  daily  devotion  to  duty  here. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

ARE     WE     INFIDELS? 

Rapid  Growth  of  fipiritualism  — The  "Mad-Dog"  Cry  — Charge  ignored— Pro 
cccds  from  Infidel  Hearts  — Truths  and  Errors  in  the  Bible— Dialogue; 
Minister  wants  a  Bible  — All  believe  Parts,  and  no  one  believes  All,  of  the 
Bible  — Illustrative  Cases  —  How  shall  we  decide  who  the  Believers  are  — 
The  true  Test  — "Works  —  The  Commission  — End  of  the  World  not  yet- 
Jewish  and  Christian  Age  — Preaching,  Baptism,  and  Signs  go  together  — Is 
Christ  in  the  Church  — Signs  follow  j  did  Jesus  tell  the  Truth  — The  Day 
of  Pentecost  — Holy  Ghost,  Definition  of  — Opinion  of  Opposers— Peter's 
Explanation  — "What  shall  we  do"  — This  Power  for  all  — Abrahamic 
Promise— Holy  Ghost  for  all  — Gifts  not  to  cease  — Churches  acknowledge 
some  of  the  Gifts  — Covet  the  Best  Gifts  — When  will  the  Gifts  cease  — Ad- 
vice of  James  —  Elijah's  Prayer  and  the  Rain;  two  Positions  —  Mind  will 
control  Matter- All  Thhigs  under  Man  — A  Lightning-Taixicr  — Philosophy 
of  Rain  — Rain  on  Battlc-Fields,  &c.— Yankee  Climate-Regulators- Sick 
Lady  — A  Dialogue  — God  not  changed  by  Prayer  — EfFect  of  Prayer- 
Sickness  the  Result  of  Sin  — Prayer  and  its  Equivalent—  Philosophy  of  Dis- 
ease and  Cure  —  Impressions  Mental  and  Physical  —  Philosophy  of  vomit- 
ing—  Disease  created  and  removed  by  Impressions  on  the  Mind  — Death 
from  Excitement  — Whence  the  Power  of  Volition  — Spirit- Writing  — Cause 
of  Paralysis  — Positive  and  Negative  Disease  — Philosophy  of  Controling  a 
Patient  — Electric  Currents  pass  from  the  Nerves  of  one  to  another  — The 
Spirit- Woi-ld  supplies  the  Operator  —  Author's  Experience  in  healing  — 
Cause  of  Failures  — Jesus  sometimes  failed  — His  Disciples  do  — Author 
has  been  healed  — Blind  see,  Deaf  hear,  &c. —Statement  of  Abraham 
Clarke  — Letter  to  "The  New- York  Dispatch"  — Peter  Manning's  Case  — 
Another  Dialogue  — The  Devil  did  it— Devil  not  so  good,  after  all  —Another 
Evidence  —  Jesus'  Logic— Was  his  Mission  divine  —  Coming  of  Christ 
—  Symbolic  Clouds  and  Horses- Death  has  lost  its  Sting— Challenge  — 
World's  Convention. 

SPIRITUALISM  lias  stood  before  tlie  world  and 
claimed  a  hearing  at  its  bar  for  twentj^-one  years. 
It  has,  ill  that  space  of  time,  succeeded  in  getting  such 
a  hearino;  as  no  other  relin;ion  has  ever  obtained.      We 

141 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  145 

io  not  mean  tliat  no  otlier  religion  ever  gained  such  a 
liearing  in  twenty-one  years  as  Spiritualism ;  but  we  do 
mean,  tliat,  though  it  is  only  twenty-one  years  since  the 
attention  of  the  American  people  has  been  called  to 
Spiritualism  as  a  religious  system,  it  now  has  such  a 
liold  of  the  popular  heart  as  has  not  been  obtained  by 
any  other  religious  system.  Indeed,  it  is  the  spiritual 
element  contained  in  the  churches  and  other  oro;aniza- 
tions,  that  has  held  them  together  thus  far. 

A  i)lay  is  not  worthy  of  going  before  the  public, 
unless  Spiritualism  forms  an  important  part  of  its  attrac- 
tions. A  novel  must  embody  Spiritualism  in  some 
form,  or  its  publishers  will  never  get  their  pay  for  print- 
er's ink  and  paper.  A  poem  is  hardly  read,  unless,  in 
some  mariner,  it  gives  utterance  to  the  all-absorbing 
sentiment  of  Spiritualism. 

Spiritualism  has  not  only  made  a  few  millions  of  con- 
verts, but  it  is  working  its  way  into  the  popular  heart  as 
none  of  the  creedal  systems  of  the  day  can.  Once  the 
churches  said,  "  Let  it  alone  !  it  will  die  of  itself,  and 
scarcely  a  grease-spot  of  it  will  remain."  But  that 
grease-spot  has  spread  far  and  wide  through  the  textm'e 
of  human  life.  The  "  let  alone  doctrine,"  as  it  w\as 
called,  would  not  work  ;  and  so  the  churches  have  decid- 
ed to  imitate  the  example  of  the  Quaker,  who,  having 
a  spite  against  a  dog,  said,  "  It  is  wrong  for  me  to  kill 
thee,  but  I  will  give  thee  a  had  name,  and  let  thee  go  ;  " 
and  forthwith  he  cried  out,  ^^  3Iad  dog  T^  so  effectually, 
that  others  pursued  the  animal  and  dispatclied  him. 

The    mad-dog   cry  now  raised   after  Spiritualism  is 

''  Infidelity."     It  is  now   conceded   on   all  hands   that 

Spiritualism  can  not  be  killed.     Like  "  Banquo's  ghost,'' 
10 


146  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

it  obstinately  refuses  to  "  down,"  even  though  bid  to  do 
so  by  churches  and  ministers.  There  is  no  alternative 
left  but  to  fall  in  with  it,  or  give  reasons  for  rejecting  it. 
As  no  reasons  can  be  given  that  will  satisfy  tlie  reasoner, 
the  only  course  left  for  them  is  to  deal  in  ad  captcmdiim 
vulgus :  so  they  have  raised  the  cry  of  "  Infidehty !  " 

Spiritualists  and  Spiritualism  have  pursued  "  the  even 
tenor  of  their  ways,"  paying  but  little  attention  to  the 
charges  brought  against  it ;  knowing  that  they,  for  the 
most  part,  originate  in  an  incapacity  to  comprehend  its 
sublime  truths. 

Now  we  propose,  in  this  chapter,  to  review  the  infi- 
delity charge ;  and  may  we  commence  by  saying  it  is 
a  slanderous  libel,  made,  often,  for  no  other  purpose  than 
to  disguise  the  infidelity  of  the  heart  whence  it  pro- 
ceeds ?  It  does  happen  that  persons  sometimes  think 
tliey  are  looking  at  others,  when  they  are  only  looking 
hito  a  mirror,  and  seeing  themselves  reflected.  That 
this  is  the  case  with  those  who  accuse  Spiritualism  of 
being  infidelity,  we  intend  now  to  prove. 

In  order  to  follow  out  this  course,  we  must  have  a 
rule  by  which  the  matter  may  be  decided.  Such  a  rule 
we  believe  we  have  found.  There  is  not  one  person  in 
the  world  who  believes  all  that  is  contained  in  the 
Bible.  If  we  were  to  take  a  lighted  candle,  and  search 
through  modern  Christianity,  we  should  not  find  one 
who  believes  it  all.  The  infidel  says,  "  I  do  not  believe 
the  elisors  in  the  Bible."  —  *' Neither  do /,"  says  the 
Christian.  Upon  that  ground,  they  meet  in  common. 
We  read,  and  all  Christians  and  infidels  believe  as  we 
read,  "  The  grass  withereth,  the  flower  thereof  fail- 
eth ; "  but,  when  we  see  it  recorded  that  Ahaziah  was 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  147 

two  years  older  than  his  father^  tlie  fact  is  denied  Ijy 
every  one  as  a  natural  impossibility.  Christians  and 
mfidels  agree,  that  a  man  can  not  be  older  than  his 
father.  Therefore,  one  of  the  texts  all  allow  to  be  true, 
and  the  other  all  reject  as  false. 

The  above  is  sufficient  to  illustrate  that  no  one  be- 
Heves  all  the  Bible.  Every  one  believes  some  of  it. 
How,  then,  shall  we  tell  who  the  true  believers  are? 

This  case  can  be  illustrated  by  an  incident  in  our  own 
history.  Once  upon  a  time,  we  engaged  in  conversa- 
tion with  a  minister,  who  took  occasion  to  admire  a 
copy  of  the  Bible  then  in  our  hand,  when  the  following 
dialomie  ensued :  — 

Minister.  —  "  That  is  a  very  fine  Bible  you  have, — 
just  such  as  I  have  always  wanted ;  but  I  never  could 
get  hold  of  one.     How  much  will  you  take  for  it  ?  " 

Hull.  —  "  The  book  is  not  for  sale.  I  bouo;ht  it  in 
Canada  for  my  own  use,  and  I  do  not  know  that  I  could 
get  another  without  going  there  for  it ;  and  that  would 
be  hard  to  do  in  these  war  times." 

Mix.  —  "I  will  pay  you  twice  what  your  Bible  cost 
you  for  it :  that  will  pay  you  for  using  a  poorer  one,  or 
w^aiting  until  you  can  get  another  like  this." 

H.  —  "  The  truth  is,  I  can  not  spare  this  book.  T 
have  kept  it  until  it  is  filled  with  my  own  magnetism  ; 
and  it  would  be  too  much  like  parting  with  a  part  of 
myself." 

Mix. —  "  Now,  see  here.  You  don't  believe  the  Bible  : 
why  can't  you  let  me  have  this  one  ?  " 

H.  —  "  Would  you  take  away  the  last  Bible  I  have, 
because  I  do  not  believe  it  ?  Is  there  any  evidence  of 
the  truth  of  the  Bible  ?    If  so,  where  should  it  be  found 


148  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

but  in  tlie  Bible  itself?  Surely  not  in  Lardner,  Horn, 
Watson,  Paley,  or  Mcllvaine.  Where  are  tlie  evi- 
dences of  geology  but  in  the  earth  ?  To  what  book 
but  to  the  starry  heavens  do  you  go  for  your  evidences 
of  astronomy  ?  Now,  reverse  the  matter  :  let  me  be  the 
believer,  and  you  the  unbeliever,  and  I  would  give  you 
the  book,  asking  no  other  reward,  only  that  you  would 
investigate  its  pages,  and  try  to  ascertain  their  truth. 
But,  my  brother,  it  is  easy  for  one  party  to  accuse  an- 
other of  infidelity.  Now,  I  believe  part  of  the  Bible, 
and  part  of  it  I  do  not  believe.  Part  you  believe,  and 
part  you  do  not  believe.  Parts  of  it  I  believe,  that  you 
do  not ;  parts  of  it  you  believe,  that  I  do  not ;  and  parts 
of  it  we  both  believe,  and  parts  of  it  we  both  reject." 

Mix.  —  "I  do  not  wish  to  get  into  a  discussion  with 
you,  sir:  when  you  reply  to  a  book  which  you  yourself 
have  written  on  that  subject,  it  v;ill  be  time  for  me  to 
debate  with  you." 

li.  —  "  But  the  book  you  ask  me  to  answer  admits 
tliere  are  errors  in  the  Bible,  and  that  is  all  I  now  claim. 
There  is  a  text  in  tliis  Bible  which  says,  — 

"  '  For  there  are  three  that  bear  record  in  heaven,  the 
Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  these  three 
are  one  '   (1  John  v.  7).     Do  you  believe  that  text  ?  " 

MiN.  —  "  No :  that  is  an  error.  Dr.  Clark  says  it  is 
not  in  the  oldest  manuscripts.  It  was  perhaps  inserted 
by  St.  Augustine,  merely  as  a  glossary,  but  was  copied 
by  an  ignorant  transcriber  into  the  text." 

H.  —  "I  am  not  now  inquiring  how  errors  got  into  that 
book.  You  acknowledge  this  text  to  be  an  error,  and 
that  is  all  I  claim :  so  your  Christianity  and  my  infidelity 
are  exactly  alike  on  that  text.     There  is  another  text 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  149 

tluiL  says  Samuel,  after  he  had  been  dead  some  months, 
said  to  Saul,  '  Why  hast  thou  disquieted  me  to  bring  me 
up  ?  '  Do  you  believe  Samuel  did  visit  Saul,  and  use 
such  words?  " 

j\XiN.  —  "No,  I  —  I  —  I  think  —  well,  the  Devil  per- 
sonated Samuel.  He  is  a  great  deceiver ;  beside,  the 
Bible  ])lainly  says,  '  The  dead  know  not  any  thing.' 
Samuel,  being  dead,  could  not  have  been  there." 

H.  —  ''  Very  well.  Your  belief  says  the  text  is  false  ? 
my  unbelief  says  it  is  true.^^ 

MiN.  —  "I  prefer  not  to  talk  with  you  on  these  sub- 
jects. You  know  that  a  positive,  '  Thus  saith  the  Bible,' 
on  any  subject,  in  the  absence  of  any  other  testimony,  is 
not  enough  to  convince  you  of  the  truth  of  a  position. 
It  would  convince  me  :  so  that  settles  the  question." 

H.  —  "  Perhaps  it  does.  There  is  a  positive  declara- 
tion in  2  Kings  viii.  26,  which  says,  — 

" '  Two  and  twenty  years  old  was  Ahaziah  when  he 
began  to  reign  ;  and  he  reigned  one  year  in  Jerusalem. 
And  his  mother's  name  was  Athaliah,  the  daughter  of 
Omri,  King  of  Israel.'     Do  you  believe  that  ?  " 

MiN.  —  "  Let  me  see  that  text.  Yes  :  the  Bible  says 
so,  and  I  believe  it.     Do  you  beheve  it  ?  " 

H.  —  "I  do  not  know  whether  I  believe  it  or  not." 

MiN.  — "  There,  that  fixes  the  whole  questioji.  You 
acknowledge  the  Bible  reads  just  as  you  have  quoted ; 
but,  because  you  have  no  corroborative  evidence,  you  do 
not  know  as  you  believe  it.  I  know  it  is  true,  because 
the  Bible  says  so." 

H.  — "  Here  is  another  text  I  will  ask  you  if  you 
believe.     It  says,  — 

^ Forty  and  two  years  old  was  Ahaziah  when  he  began 


(4  ( 


150  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

to  reign,  and  lie  reigned  one  year  in  Jerusalem.  His 
mother's  name  also  was  Atlialiah,  the  daughter  of  Omri ' 
(2  Chron.  xxii.  2).     Do  you  believe  that  ?  " 

Mix.  —  "  Wha  —  m  ha — Avhat  does  that  text  say? 
Let  me  see  it." 

II.  —  "  It  says  he  \Y?iS  for ty-tivo  years  old  at  the  time 
tlie  other  text  sets  him  down  at  twenty-two.  He  could 
not  have  been  forty-two  and  twenty-two  at  the  same 
time ;  and  you  have  committed  yourself  to  the  former 
text :  in  doing  so,  you  committed  yourself  against  the 
latter ;  so  your  amount  of  fidelity  over  mine  in  one  in- 
stance is  made  up  by  your  amount  of  infidelity  over 
mine  in  the  other.  The  statement  concerning  Jehoram, 
the  ftither  of  Ahaziah,  is,  — 

"  '  Thirty  and  two  years  old  was  he  when  he  began  to 
reign  ;  and  he  reigned  in  Jerusalem  eight  years,  and 
de}3artcd  without  being  desired.'  —  2  Chron.  xxi.  20. 

''  Now,  if  Jehoram  reigned  eight  years,  and  was  thirty- 
two  at  his  ascending  the  throne,  he  was  only  forty  years 
old  at  his  death ;  and  his  youngest  son,  Ahaziah,  was 
forty-two :  that  makes  the  youngest  son  only  two  years 
older  than  his  father.  There  are  a  great  many  sons  in 
'  Young  America'  more  than  that  much  older  than  their 
parents." 

This  minister  was  "  one  of  a  thousand."  It  will 
always  be  found  that  the  man  who  believes  so  much  of 
the  Bible,  and  finds  nothing  but  infidelity  in  the  opin- 
ions of  others,  is  one  wdio  either  has  no  comprehension 
of  the  opinions  of  others,  or  knows  but  little  of  what  the 
Biljle  >:ontains.  Now,  since  no  one  believes  all  of  the 
Bible,  and  every  one  believes  some  of  it,  how  will  it  be 
settled  as  to  who  the  believers  are  ?     Shall  we  tell  them 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  151 

by  the  length  of  tlieir  prayers,  or  by  tlie  lengUi  of  their 
faces?  Will  their  having  attached  their  name  to  a 
religious  creed  be  sufficient  to  prove  them  believers,  or 
must  we  decide  by  the  sacredness  they  attach  to  certain 
days  of  the  nock,  or  the  rigor  with  whicli  they  enforce 
certain  relioioiis  ceremonies  ?  None  of  these  rules  will 
do.     There  are  thousands  of  baptized  infidels  to-day. 

Jesus  has  laid  down  a  rule  by  which  to  test  this  mat- 
ter.    He  says,  — 

"  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you.  He  that  believeth  on 
me,  tlie  works  that  I  do  shall  he  do  also ;  and  greater 
works  than  these  shall  he  do,  because  I  go  unto  my 
Father." — John  xiv.  12. 

This  language  can  not  easily  be  misinterpreted.  Jesus 
set  out  to  tell  us  who  believers  are.  He  does  not  test 
them  by  their  j^rofessmis,  by  forms  or  ceremonies,  but 
by  their  ivorks.  Christians,  are  you  willing  to  be 
tested  thus  ?  "  He  that  believeth  shall  do  the  loorks  that 
I  do  ;  "  vea,  even  greater  ivorhs.  Did  Jesus,  or  did  he 
not,  tell  the  truth  ?  Do  you,  or  do  you  not,  believe  ? 
Will  you  do  yourselves  the  ftivor  to  heed  Paul's  admo- 
nition?— 

"  Examine  yourselves,  whether  ye  be  in  the  fliith  ; 
prove  your  own  selves."  —  2  Cor.  xiii.  5. 

James  says,  — 

*'  Yea,  a  man  may  say.  Thou  hast  faith,  and  I  have 
works ;  show  me  thy  faith  without  thy  works,  and  I  will 
show  thee  my  faith  by  my  works."  — James  ii.  18. 

These  Scriptures  can  not  be  misunderstood.  You  are 
not  only  admonished  to  "  prove  yourselves,"  but  told 
how,  —  show  your  faith  by  your  works.  What  works  ? 
"  The  works  that  I  do,  and  even  greater,  shall  he  do." 


152  T  IE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

We  ask  again,  Do  you  believe  ?  Oh,  would  that  we 
had  the  power  to  ring  the  question  in  every  ear ! 

After  Jesus'  anastasis,  he  said  to  his  disciples,  — 

"  Go  ye  tlierefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing 
them  In  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  teaching  them  to  observe  all  things 
whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you  ;  and  lo,  I  am  with 
you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world."  —  Matt, 
xxvili.  10,  20. 

Here  Christ  promised  to  be  with  his  disciples.  This 
means  somethlno;.  He  is  not  golno;  to  be  with  them  and 
not  make  himself  manifest.  The  only  way  the  Church 
can  know  that  Christ  Is  with  them  is  by  certain  mani- 
festations. Mark  records  the  fulfillment  of  this  promise 
in  his  day  as  follows  :  — 

"And  they  went  forth,  aid  preached  everywhere,  the 
Lord  working  with  them,  and  confirming  the  word  with 
siiins  followluix."  —  Mark  xvi.  20. 

When  Paul  and  Barnabas  preached  at  Iconium,  Luke 
says,— 

''  Long  time,  therefore,  abode  they,  speaking  boldly  in 
tlie  Lord,  which  gave  testimony  unto  the  word  of  his 
sracc,  and  granted  sIots  and  wonders  to  be  done  by 
their  hands."  —  Acts  xiv.  3. 

Tlie  text  docs  not  promise  to  be  with  the  disciples 
merely  to  the  end  of  their  generation,  but  "  always,  even 
to  the  end  of  the  ivorld.""  Though  many  are  looking  for 
the  end  of  the  world  very  soon,  and  almost  innumerable 
times  have  been  set  for  old  Fatlier  Time  to  cease  his 
rounds,  he,  not  do.-inted  in  the  least  by  the  notices  that 
he  will  cease  to  brino;  the  seasons  around,  trudo-es  alonsr 
as  usual.     Then  Christ  is  to  work  with  his  disciples  yet. 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  153 

or  tlie  text  is  not  true.  Does  he  do  it?  Is  there  a 
church  to-day  that  has  the  signs  by  which  to  prove  that 
Christ  is  witli  it  ?  Said  a  minister  to  us,  "•  If  the  word 
'  world  '  signified  all  time,  as  you  seem  to  think,  your  re- 
marks would  be  just ;  but  the  Greek  w^ord  aion,  rendered 
'  world '  in  this  instance,  only  signifies  age  or  dispensa- 
tion. This  lano;uao;e  was  used  in  the  Jewish,  and  not  in 
the  Christian  age  :  therefore  it  only  means  that  Christ 
will  be  with  his  disciples  to  the  end  of  the  Jewish  dispen- 
sation." "  When  did  the  Jewish  aofe  end,  and  the  Chris- 
tion  age  commence  ?  "  we  asked.  "On  the  day  of  Pen- 
tecost," was  his  reply.  Very  well,  the  preaching  did 
not  commence  until  the  day  of  Pentecost.  They  were 
not  to  set  out  immediately  on  their  mission.  Luke  says, 
that  Jesus,  after  giving  their  commission  to  preach, 
said,  — 

"  And,  behold,  I  send  the  promise  of  my  Father  upon 
you  ;  but  tarry  ye  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem  until  ye  be 
endued  with  power  from  on  high."  — ■  Luke  xxiv.  49. 

This  enduement  came  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  the 
very  time  where  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  dispen- 
sation is  located.  Jesus  is  to  work  with  his  disciples  to 
the  end  of  the  dispensation  where  the  preaching  is  to  be 
done.  Is  the  command  to  preach  binding  yet  ?  and  are 
persons  now  baptized  in  obedience  to  this  text  ?  Then, 
if  Jesus  is  not  with  the  Church  to-day,  it  is  either  because 
he  did  not  tell  the  truth,  or  its  members  are  infidels. 

A  representative  of  modern  infidelity,  falsely  called 
theology,  informed  us  that  Christ  was  with  the  Church 
until  it  was  established  :  from  that  time  forward,  he  had 
not  been  with  it.  This  was  admitting  the  whole  ground  : 
their  Cliurch  was  composed  of  Christless  infidels  I 


154  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

Mark  re]n'eseiits  Jesus  as  saying,  — 

*'  And  tliL^se  signs  shall  follow  them  that  believe :  in 
my  name  shall  they  cast  out  devils ;  they  shall  speak 
with  new  tongues ;  they  shall  take  up  serpents,  and,  if 
they  drink  any  deadly  thing,  it  shall  not  hurt  them  ;  they 
shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick,  and  they  shall  recover."  — 
Mark  xvi.  17,  18. 

Here  again  the  language  is  positive  and  emphatic. 
''  These  simis  shall  follow  tliem  that  believe."  There 
is  no  proviso  in  the  case.  Do  the  signs  follow  those 
who  accuse  Spiritualists  of  infidelity  ?  If  not,  are 
they  not,  when  they  make  such  charges,  speaking  of  the 
abundance  of  their  own  infidel  hearts  ? 

The  disciples  were  requested  to  tarry  at  Jerusalem 
until  they  were  endued  with  power  from  on  high.  They 
did  so.  On  the  fortieth  day  after  they  first  saw  Jesus  after 
his  martyrdom,  they  saw  him  for  the  last  time.  They 
then  formed  what  Spiritualists  call  a  circle  in  an  upper 
room  in  the  city  ;  and  there  they  sat  for  ten  days,  waiting 
for  this  power.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  they  began  to 
have  manifestations,  such  as  are  of  common  occurrence 
among  modern  Spiritualists.  The  writer  of  the  Book  of 
Acts  describes  it  thus :  — 

"  And,  when  the  day  of  Pentecost  was  fully  come, 
they  were  all  with  one  accord  in  one  place.  And  sud- 
denly there  came  a  sound  from  heaven  as  of  a  rushing 
mighty  wind,  and  it  filled  all  the  house  where  they  were 
sitting.  And  there  appeared  unto  them  cloven  tongues 
like  as  of  fire,  and  it  sat  upon  each  of  them.  And  they 
were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  began  to  speak 
with  other  tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance. 
And  there  were  dwelling  at  Jerusalem   Jews,   devout 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  155 

men,  out  of  every  nation  under  lieaven.  Now  when 
tills  was  noised  abroad,  the  multitude  came  together, 
and  were  confounded,  because  that  every  man  heard 
them  speak  in  his  own  language.  And  they  were  all 
amazed,  and  marveled,  saying  one  to  another.  Behold, 
are  not  all  these  which  speak  Galileans  ?  And  how 
hear  we  every  man  in  our  own  tongue,  wherein  we  were 
born  ?  "  —  Acts  ii.  1-8. 

Here  is  a  foreign  power  lighting  upon  the  disci- 
ples m  cloven,  or  a  diversity  of  tongues,  literally  split 
tongues  ;  that  is,  tongues  that  speak  a  number  of  lan- 
o-uao-es.  These  illiterate  Gahlean  fishermen  fluently 
speak  seventeen  different  languages,  not  one  of  which 
they  understand.  The  power  thus  using  these  mediums 
is  called  "  the  Holy  Ghost;"  that  k,  pneumatos  hagion. 
One  of  the  definitions  which  Greenfield  gives  the  word 
'pneumatos  is  ''  human  souls ; "  and  we  know  of  no 
better  definition  of  thu  word  hagion  than  "  good."  A 
"  spirit  power  lights  upon  them,  that  the  Bible  designates 
as  the  good  spirit."  Whose  spirit  it  was  we  do  not 
know.  Of  two  thino-s  we  are  sure:  first,  it  fulfills  the 
Christ  prediction,  "  I  am  with  you  ;"  second,  it  was  just 
such  a  power  as  works  on  modern  media. 

These  manifestations  of  course  astonish  the  people, 
who  were  worshiping  dead  forms  and  ceremonies,  in- 
stead of  having  any  living  evidence  of  their  religion. 

"  And  they  were  all  amazed,  and  were  in  doubt,  say- 
ing one  to  another.  What  meaneth  this  ?  Others,  mock- 
ing, said.  These  men  are  full  of  new  wine."  —  Acts  ii. 
12,  13. 

This  last  charo;e  brin2;s  Peter  to  his  feet.  Here  the 
gospel  commences:  — 


156  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

"  Ye  men  of  Judasa,  and  all  ye  that  dwell  at  Jerasa- 
lem,  be  tins  known  unto  you,  and  hearken  to  my  words  ; 
fur  these  are  not  drunken,  as  ye  suppose,  seeing  it  is  but 
the  third  hour  of  tlie  day.  But  this  is  that  which  was 
spoken  by  the  prophet  Joel :  And  it  shall  come  to  pass 
in  tlie  last  days,  saitli  God,  I  will  pour  out  of  my  Spirit 
upon  all  flesh  ;  and  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall 
pi'ophesy,  and  your  young  men  shall  see  visions,  and 
your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams  :  and  on  my  servants 
and  on  my  handmaidens  I  will  pour  out  in  those  days 
of  my  Spirit;  and  they  shall  prophesy/'  —  Acts  ii. 
14-18. 

This  is  a  complete  refutation  of  those  Jewish  rab- 
bis. Peter  thoroughly  exposes  their  theory  of  the  men 
being  under  the  influence  of  wine.  It  was  too  early  an 
hour.  The  wine  they  drank  then  was  not  sucJi  drink  as 
men  indulge  in  now-a-days.  Men  could  di'ink  all  day, 
and  by  nightfall  they  would  begin  to  be  intoxicated : 
hence  the  proverb,  "  They  that  are  drunken,  are 
drunken  in  the  night."  Beside,  wine  does  not  teach 
men  seventeen  different  languages  they  never  heard. 
After  refuting  the  position  of  these  exposers  of  ancient 
S])irit-manifestations,  Peter  proceeds  to  state  his  own, 
which  is,  that  this  is  a  fulfillment  of  a  certain  predic- 
tion. His  reasonings  so  perfectly  commend  them- 
sc'lves  to  the  peoi)le,  that  they  are  convinced,  and  at 
once  cry  out,  ''What  shall  we  do?"  Do  for  what? 
we  ask.  "  To  be  saved,"  nearly  the  whole  world  re- 
sponds. Not  a  bit  of  it.  They,  in  this  question^  had 
no  more  idea  of  salvation  than  they  had  of  going  into 
Noah's  ark.  No  :  they  had  witnessed  certain  phenomena  ; 
and  they  were  interested  in  knowing  how  they  couJd  be 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  157 

produced.  Now  the  question  is,  What  shall  we  do  to 
have  the  power  manifest  here  ?  Peter's  answer  is  perti- 
nent :  — 

''  Then  Peter  said  unto  them,  Repent,  and  be  baptized, 
every  one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  thelloJy 
Ghost.  For  the  promise  is  unto  you,  and  to  your  chil- 
dren, and  to  all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the 
Lord  our  God  shall  call.''  —  Acts  ii.  38,  39. 

It  was  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  that  enabled  the  dis- 
ciples to  work  the  wonders  which  were  exciting  the 
people.  Now,  Peter  tells  them  they  can  have  the  same 
power  on  certain  conditions  :  "  for  the  promise  is  to 
them  ;  not  to  them  only,  but  to  their  children ;  and  not 
them  alone,  but  all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as 
the  Lord  our  God  shall  call." 

A  kind  friend  once  volunteered  to  enlighten  us  upon 
this  subject.  "  This  promise  made  to  them  and  their 
children  et  al.,''  said  he,  "  was  the  Abrahamic  promise." 
The  promise  made  to  Abraham  was  in  the  following 
words :  — 

"  And  the  Lord  said  nnto  Abram,  after  that  Lot  was 
separated  from  him,  Lift  up  now^  thine  eyes,  and  look 
from  the  })lace  where  thou  art,  northward  and  southward, 
and  eastward  and  westward;  for  all  the  land  which  thou 
seest,  to  tliee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed  for  ever. 
And  I  will  make  thy  seed  as  the  dust  of  the  earth,  so 
that,  if  a  man  can  number  the  dust  of  the  earth,  then 
shall  thy  seed  also  be  luunbered."  —  Gen.  xiii.  14-16. 

What  reference  this  text  could  have  to  this  promise 
it  would  take  at  leasr  a  divine  to  Imagine.  No:  here  ia 
the  promise :  — 


158  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

"  Therefore  being  by  the  riglit  liand  of  God  exalted, 
and  liaving  received  of  the  Father  the  promise  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  lie  hath  shed  forth  this,  which  ye  now  see 
and  hear."  —  Acts  ii.  33. 

Now,  this  m'omise  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  to  all  who 
are  called ;  but  the  Holy  Ghost  enables  those  under  its 
power  to  do  what  was  done  on  the  day  of  Pentecost. 

"  But,"'  says  the  objector,  "  these  signs  were  to  cease." 
Then  all  the  Scriptures  quoted  in  this  chapter  thus  far 
are  false.  Here  we  venture  the  assertion,  that  not  an 
argument,  except  the  fact  that  the  churches  do  not  enjoy 
the  gifts,  can  be  brought  to  prove  that  they  should  have 
ceased :  that,  instead  of  proving  the  gifts  should  cease, 
proves  the  relapse  of  the  Church  into  infidelity.  Churches 
themselves  do  not  believe  in  the  cessation  of  all  the  gifts. 
In  Rom.  xii.  6-8,  Paul  says,  — 

"  Having,  then,  gifts  differing  according  to  the  grace 
that  is  given  us,  whether  prophecy,  let  us  prophesy  ac- 
cording to  the  proportion  of  faith  ;  or  ministry,  let  us 
wait  on  our  ministering ;  or  he  that  teacheth,  on  teach- 
ing, or  he  that  exhorteth,  on  exhortation :  he  that 
givetli,  let  him  do  it  with  simplicity ;  he  that  ruleth, 
with  dilio-cnce  ;  he  that  showeth  mercy,  with  cheer- 
fulness." 

The  gifts  all  go  together ;  yet  the  Church  denies  the 
gift  of  prophecy,  and  acknowledges  that  of  the  ministry, 
teaching,  and  exhortation. 

In  1  Cor.  xii.  7-11,  Paul  says,  "  But  the  manifesta- 
tion of  the  Spirit  is  given  to  every  man  to  profit  withal. 
For  to  one  is  given  by  the  Spirit  the  word  of  wisdom  ; 
to  another,  the  word  of  knowledge  by  the  same  Spirit; 
to  another,  faith  by  the  same  Spirit ;  to  another,  the  gifts 


THE  QUESTION   SETTLED.  159 

of  healing  by  the  saiAC  Spirit ;  to  another,  tiie  working 
of  miracles;  to  another,  prophecy;  to  another,  discern- 
ino  of  spirits ;  to  another,  divers  kinds  of  tongues  ;  to 
am  ther,  the  interpretation  of  tongues :  but  all  these 
woiketh  that  one  and  the  selfsame  Spirit,  dividing  to 
every  man  severally  as  he  will." 

Does  Paul  tell  the  truth  ?  If  so,  every  man  is  enti- 
tled to  some  form  of  the  manifestation  of  the  Spirit. 
One  would  think,  by  the  way  opposition  to  spirit-mani- 
festations rages  in  the  Church,  that  that,  too,  was  a  gift 
of  the  Spirit.  Here,  this  Spirit  that  gives  the  power  to 
teach  and  preach  the  word  to  one  gives  to  another  the 
power  to  heal  the  sick  ;  to  another,  the  power  to  proph- 
esy; another,  the  power  to  work  miracles  (marvels); 
another,  the  discerning  (seeing  and  describing)  of 
spirits  ;  and  to  another,  the  power  to  speak  in  foreign 
languages. 

But  Paul  continues  :  *'  And  God  hath  set  some  in  the 
church;  first  apostles,  secondarily  prophets,  thirdly  teach- 
ers ;  after  that  miracles ;  then  gifts  of  healings,  helps, 
governments,  diversities  of  tongues.  Are  all  apostles? 
are  all  prophets  ?  are  all  teachers  ?  are  all  workers  of 
miracles  ?  have  ill  the  gifts  of  healing  ?  do  all  speak 
with  tongues?  do  all  interpret?  But  covet  earnestly 
the  best  gifts  ;  and  yet  show  I  unto  you  a  more  excel- 
lent way."—  1  Cor.  xll.  28-31. 

The  Church  now  has  its  teachers,  helps,  and  govern- 
ments ;  then  why  deny  it  the  other  gifts  mentioned  in 
this  chapter,  which  it  has  an  equal  right  to  claim  ?  Nay, 
why  charge  infidelity  upon  the  only  people  in  the  world 
who,  by  the  exercise  of  spiritual  powers,  prove  them- 
selves legitimate  Christians  ? 


160  THE   QUESTION    SETTLED. 

In  chap.  xiv.  1,  -Paul  admonishes  his  brethren  to 
*' follow  after  charity,  and  desire  spiritual  gifts.'' 

But  tlie  Church,  havino;  lost  both  charity  and  gifts, 
sjkmkIs  its  time  in  ardently  wishing  others  were  in 
equally  as  doleful  a  situation.  Truly,  the  words  of  the 
Judajan  reformer,  "  The  kingdom  shall  be  taken  from 
you,  and  given  to  a  nation  bringing  forth  the  fruits 
thereof,"  are  more  literally  fulfilled  than  many  ima- 
gine. Verse  twelve  of  this  same  chapter,  instead  of 
teachino;  that  the  o-ifts  shall  cease,  admonishes  Christians 
to  "be  zealous  of  spiritual  gifts,  and  seek  to  excel." 

"  But  there  is  a  text  somewhere,"  said  an  objector, 
"  that  teaches  that  the  gifts  shall  cease."  Yes  :  there  is 
just  one.     Here  it  is  :  — 

"  Charity  never  faileth  :  but,  whether  there  be  prophe- 
cies, they  shall  fail ;  whether  there  be  tongues,  they  shall 
cease  ;  whether  there  be  knowledge,  it  shall  vanish  away. 
For  we  know  in  part,  and  we  prophesy  in  part.  But, 
when  that  which  is  perfect  is  come,  then  that  which  is 
in  part  shall  be  done  away."  —  1  Cor.  xiii.  7-10. 

Here  the  matter  is  stated  clearly.  "  When  that 
which  is  perfect  is  come,  then  that  which  is  in  part  shall 
be  done  away."     When 

"  Hope  sliall  change  to  glad  fruition, 
Faith  to  sight,  and  prayer  to  praise," 

then,  and  not  till  then,  WMll.the  gifts  cease.  While 
there  are  sick,  the  cift  of  healino;  will  remain  ;  while 
persons  do  not  all  understand  one  language,  the  power 
to  speak  in  others  will  remain.  Until  then,  if  the  gifts 
cease,  it  is  because  of  infidelity. 

We  will  now  turn  our  attention  to  one  particular  de- 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  IGl 

partment  of  this  subject.     We  will  select  that  of  heal- 
ing.    James  says,  — 

"  Is  any  sick  among  you  ?  let  him  call  for  the  elders 
of  the  clmrch  ;  and  let  them  pray  over  him,  anointing 
liim  witli  oil  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  And  the  prayer 
of  faith  shall  save  the  sick,  and  the  Lord  shall  raise  him 
up  ;  and,  if  he  have  committed  sins,  they  shall  be  forgiven 
him."  —  James  v.  14,  15. 

Christians,  you  who  take  the   Bible  for  the  rule  of 
your  faith  and  practice,  do  you   follow  James's  injunc- 
tion ?     Will  you  ?     Dare  you  undertake  to  show  your 
faith  by  your  works  ?     James  did  not  counsel   to  send 
for  a  doctor:  an  ancient  Christian  would  as  soon   think 
of  sending  for  a  lawyer  as   a  doctor.     "  Send  for  the 
elders,"  is  the  injunction ;  let  them  pray  for  him ;  the 
prayer    of    faith    shall    save    tlie    sick.     Is  there  faith 
enough  in  all  [)rofessed  Christendom  to  save  one  patient  ? 
But  James  continues  to  aro-ue  the  case  :  — 
"  Elias  was  a  man  subject  to  like  passions  as  we  are, 
and  he  prayed  earnestly  that  it  might  not  rain ;  and  it 
rained  not  on  the  earth  by  the  space  of  three  years  and 
SIX  montlis.     And  he  prayed  again,   and   the  heaven 
gave  rain,  and  the  earth  brought  forth  her  fruit."  — 
James  v.  17,  18. 

James's  argument  in  reference  to  the  sick  is  based  on 
the  fact  tliat  Elijah  controlled  the  elements.  This  he  did, 
or  the  statement  made  here,  and  in  1  Kings  xvii.  1,  is 
not  true.  There  is  only  one  of  two  ways  in  which  this 
could  have  been  done:  first,  by  interceding  with  an 
especial  power  which  controls  the  elements ;  or,  second, 
working  in  liamiony  with  some  law  which  produced 
such  an  effect.  In  either  case,  the  power  that  can  con- 
11 


1G2  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

trol  the  elements  so  as  to  regulate  the  falling  of  rain 
can  certainly  control  enough  to  drive  disease  from  the 
human  system.  If  James  argues  that  it  was  done  as  an 
especial  flivor  in  answer  to  prayer,  then  his  [osition  is, 
God  will  hear  prayer  as  in  the  case  of  Elias  ;  otherwise, 
his  position  is,  man  can  control  the  elements  as  in  the 
case  of  Elijah. 

The  world  is  now  beo:innin<]j  to  understand  that  mind 
must  control  matter.  Man  will  yet  control  all  the 
elements.  This  idea  is  found  in  more  than  one  place  in 
the  Bible.     David  says  of  man,  — 

'^  Thou  madest  him  to  have  dominion  over  the  works 
of  thy  hands  ;  thou  hast  put  all  things  under  his  feet." 
—  Ps.  viii.  6. 

Paul  quotes  and  comments  on  this  text  as  follows  :  — 

''  But  one  in  a  certain  place  testified,  saying.  What  is 
man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him?  or  the  son  of  man, 
that  thou  visitest  him  ?  Thou  madest  him  a  little  lower 
than  the  angels  ;  thou  crownedst  him  with  glory  and 
honor,  and  didst  set  him  over  the  works  of  tliy  hands. 
Thou  hast  put  all  things  in  subjection  under  his  feet. 
For,  in  tliat  he  put  all  in  subjection  under  him,  he  left 
nothino-  that  is  not  init  under  him.  But  now  we  see  not 
yet  all  things  put  under  him."  — Heb.  ii.  6-8. 

So  it  is.  All  things — yea,  all  the  elements  —  are, 
2)rospectively^  under  man  ;  but  all  things  are  not  yet,  in 
fact^  under  his  control.  As  man  obtains  a, knowledge  of 
science,  tlie  elements,  one  after  another,  become  subject 
to  him.  We  do  believe,  with  James,  David,  and  Paul, 
that  man  will  yet  control  them  all. 

''  My  friend,"  said  a  good  mother  in  Israel  to  us, 
"  that  is  blasphemy.     You  talk  of  making  it  rain  :  that 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  1G3 

is  taking  GocFs  business  out  of  his  liands.  You  must  not 
assume  to  be  God."  "  Yes,"  said  we  :  "  there  are  a 
great  many  Uasphemers  in  the  world.  In  the  last  cen- 
tuiy,  tliere  was  one,  Benjamin  Franklin  by  name,  who 
undertook  to  take  tlie  lio-litnino;  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
Almighty,  and  succeeded ;  corked  it  up  in  a  bottle,  car- 
ried it  in  his  pocket,  and  exhibited  it  as  a  trophy  of  the 
triumph  of  science.  The  world  which  scoffed  and 
laughed  at  the  '  insane  blasphemer,'  at  once  began  to 
worship  him  as  a  semi-o;od.  If  the  lio;litnino;  the  most 
subtile  of  all  the  elements,  can  be  even  partially  con- 
trolled by  man,  certainly  the  grosser  elements  can  be 
made  to  yield  to  his  power." 

There  are  laws  re2;ulatino;  the  fallino^  of  rain  ;  and 
man  needs  but  to  understand  and  apply  them  to  produce 
a  shower.  Every  one  knows,  that,  if  a  lump  of  ice  be 
put  into  a  pitcher  of  water  on  a  very  hot  day,  the  result 
will  be,  that  water  will  soon  cover  the  whole  outside  of 
the  pitcher.  The  philosophy  of  the  phenomenon  is 
simply  this ;  the  atmosphere  outside  of  the  pitcher  is 
warm ;  the  cold  water  and  ice  inside  the  pitcher  change 
the  temperature  ;  the  vessel,  being  a  conductor,  conveys 
the  cold  temperature  to  its  surface ;  there  it  meets  the 
heated  atmosphere  ;  and  the  result  is  a  condensation  ;  the 
hydrogen  of  the  atmosphere  in  immediate  connection 
with  the  vessel  settles  upon  it.  Thus  a  small  shower  has 
been  produced.  Apply  this  law  on  a  larger  scale,  and 
a  heavier  rain-storm  is  the  result.  Rains  have  almost 
always  followed  as  a  result  of  hard  battles,  where  tliere 
was  a  great  deal  of  heavy  cannonading.  It  has  been 
remarked  in  this  country  that  a  shower  is  more  apt  to 
come  up  on  the  afternoon  of   the  fourth  day  of  July 


164  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

than  any  other  day  of  that  montli.  The  celebration  on 
that  day  of  our  nation's  birth,  which  is  done  by  burning 
powder  and  jarring  up  the  elements,  is  undoubtedly  the 
cause.  Atmosphere,  as  it  is  heated  and  disturbed,  ex- 
pands, and,  of  course,  in  proportion  to  its  bulk,  becomes 
lighter;  the  result  is,  it  rises,  and  the  colder,  heavier  at 
mosphere  sinks  ;  as  the  heated  air  rises  through  the  cold, 
the  condensation  occurs ;  and,  as  a  result,  we  have  a 
shower  of  rain. 

Now,  we  venture  to  say,  give  a  Yankee  a  furnace  of 
sufficient  magnitude  to  heat  a  sufficient  portion  of  air, 
and  an  engine  of  sufficient  power  to  send  the  heated 
atmosphere  through  the  colder  stratum,  and  he  will  pro- 
duce a  shower  any  time  on  twenty -four  hours'  notice. 

If  it  were  possible  to  bore  down  five  miles  into  the 
eartli,  we  would  find  a  heat  sufficient  to  melt  the  hard- 
est  substance  known.  May  not  the  time  come  when 
man  will  be  able  to  dive  down  into  the  bowels  of  the 
earth,  and  from  its  eternal  fire  regulate  our  climate, 
both  as  to  temperature  and  moisture?  But  if  the  ele- 
ments can  be  controlled,  as  James  insinuates,  why  may 
not  the  other  portion  of  the  text  be  true,  and  disease 
pass  under  the  control  of  man  ? 

Permit  us  now  to  examine  this  from  a  scientific  stand- 
point. And,  first,  we  must  inquire  after  the  philosophy 
of  disease  and  cure.  To  illustrate  :  suppose  a  lady,  the 
mother  of  four  children,  to  be  taken  ill.  She  decides 
to  send  for  the  elder,  as  per  direction,  and  have  him 
})ray  foj-  her.  A  philosopher  chances  to  meet  the  elder 
at  the  lady's  house,  and  the  following  dialogue  ensues  :  — 

Philosopher.  —  "  What  is  the  cause  of  the  lady's 
sickness?  " 


THE    QUESTION    SETTLED.  1G5 

Ei.DHR.  — "  All !  'the  Lord  hath  greatly  afflicted 
her.'     You  know  that 

*  God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way 
His  wonders  to  perform : 
He  plants  his  footsteps  in  the  sea, 
And  rides  upon  the  storm  I  *  " 

Phil.  — ''  Why  has  God  afflicted  her  ?  " 
Eld.  —  "  Because,  in  his  wisdom,  he  sees  it  to  be  the 
best." 

Phil.  —  "  Then  why  pray  for  it  to  be  removed  ?  If 
it  is  best  for  her  to  be  afflicted,  do  not  ask  God  to  re- 
move that  which  she  needs.  The  superior  wisdom  of 
the  Almighty  knows  that  she  needs  affliction :  hence  he 
has  sent  ir,  upon  her.  Now,  will  you  ask  Infinite  Wisdom 
to  give  place  to  your  folly,  and  heal  her,  when  he  knows 
that  it  is  not  for  the  best  ?  and  will  he  obey  you  ?  That 
makes  God  a  time-serving  demagogue,  whiffling  about 
to  suit  the  thousand  and  one  notions  of  his  creatures. 
When  you  prove  that  position,  I  will  cease  to  believe 
the  world  is  governed  by  Infinite  Wisdom,  but  by  the 
caprices  of  his  people :  so,  if  God  has  afflicted  the  lady, 
my  advice  to  you  is  to  let  him  manage  the  matter. 
What  did  God  make  her  sick  for?" 

Eld.  — "  Oh  !  he  intends  to  take  her  to  himself." 
Phil.  —  "  Ha  does  ?  Well,  he  is  abundantly  able  to 
carry  out  his  determinations.  He  undoubtedly  thinks 
it  is  best  that  she  should  die,  or  he  would  not  kill  her ; 
and  if  God,  who,  you  will  admit,  ought  to  know,  thinks 
it  best  that  she  should  die,  I  will  not  ask  him  to  revoke 
his  decision  to  take  her  life  :  for,  the  moment  he  yields  to 
my  judgment,  he  is  icr^God-cd.^^ 


1G6  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

Eld.  —  "  Slic  lias  four  children,  who  will  be  left  with- 
out a  mother.  It  is  a  pity  that  she  should  die  :  I  will 
tell  God  all,  and  ask  him  to  restore  her." 

Phil.  —  •  Then  you  think,  when  you  lay  all  the  facts 
before  the  Author  of  the  universe,  that  he  may  recoiisider 
the  case.  Perhaps  he  has  not  thought  tliat  these  chil- 
dren will  be  left  in  so  destitute  a  condition." 

Eld.  —  "Well,  the  fact  is,  I  do  not  think  we  cnn 
cluing^:  the  mind  of  the  omnipotent  God ;  but  I  will  ask 
him.  If  it  is  in  harmony  with  his  will,  to  raise  her  up. 
i  think  he  intends  to  restore  her  to  health." 

Phil.  —  "  Very  well :  if  he  intends  to  restore  her,  he 
will  accomplish  it.  Why  do  you  hiterfere  ?  If  the 
lady  is  restored  to  health,  it  is  in  accordance  with  tlie 
predetermination  of  God,  and  not  in  answer  to  your 
prayers." 

Eld. — "  You  must  be  an  infidel:  don't  you  believe 
in  praying  for  the  sick  ?  " 

Phil.  —  "I  most  certainly  believe  In  praying  for  the 
jftilcted  ;  but  convince  me  that  God  has  any  thing  to  do 
with  the  matter,  one  way  or  another,  and  I  will  never 
pray.  God  is  abundantly  able  to  attend  to  his  OAvn 
business." 

Eld.  —  "  What  do  you  mean  ?  Has  God  nothing  to 
do  with  the  case?" 

Phil.  —  "  Nothing  at  all.  The  lady  has  violated  the 
laws  of  health,  and  is  now  paying  the  penalty.  Jesus, 
if  he  were  to  aduilnister  to  her  needs,  would  say,  '  Daugh- 
ter, thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee.'  Sin,  a  violation  of  the 
law,  and  nothing  else,  has  made  her  sick.  '  God,  in  his 
providence,'  does  not  send  dyspepsia  to  one  who  has  not 
been  intemperate  either  in  the  quantity  or  quality  of 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  167 

food  and  driidv  taken  into  the  stomach.  I  have  known 
many  dyspeptics  to  charge  to  God  what  they  owed  to 
greed.  Rheumatism  and  all  the  ailments  of  mankind 
come  as  the  result  of  sin  against  the  laws  of  health  ;  and 
all  that  is  wanted  to  remove  disease  is  to  restore  the 
broken  laws." 

Eld."  —  "  But  will  prayer  do  it  ?  " 

Phil.  —  "  In  many  instances,  it  will.  It  would  do  it 
in  almost  every  case  in  the  days  of  James  ;  and  now,  in 
cases  where  prayer  will  not  remove  disease,  there  is  an 
equivalent  in  something  else." 

Eld.  —  "  What  is  it  ?     I  do  not  understand  you." 

Phil.  —  "  I  will  explain.  Disease  is  under  the  con- 
trol of  mind,  —  partially  the  mmd  of  the  operator,  and 
partially,  it  may  be,  the  mind  of  the  patient.  In  order 
to  effectually  remove  disease,  the  patient  must  be  not 
only  negative  to  the  operator,  but  in  magnetic  rapport 
with  him  :  so,  if  the  one  to  be  healed  is  a  great  believer 
in  prayer,  her  confidence  is  mspii'ed,  and  she  passes  into 
more  perfect  communion  with  the  operator  by  that  than 
by  any  otlier  means.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  patient 
is  a  philosopher,  largely  developed  in  the  region  of  cau- 
sality and  comparison,  he  will  be  disgusted  w^ith  the  in- 
sane verbiage  generally  handed  out  as  prayer ;  and  his 
disgust,  if  nothing  else,  will  cause  him  to  repel  all  the 
health-giving  power,  which,  otherwise,  might  have  been 
imparted.  In  such  a  case,  three  minutes  of  philosophy 
would  be  worth  more  than  three  months  of  prayer ;  for, 
be  it  understood,  the  power  must  pass  from  the  operator 
to  the  patient." 

Eld.  —  "  This  may  be  infidelity,  but  it  is  strangely 
interesting :  please  proceed." 


168  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

PiiiL.  —  "  Disease  and  cure  are  always  the  result  of 
impression,  --sometimes  mental  and  sometimes  physical. 
There  are  cases  Avhere  it  is  necessary  to  produce  a  phys- 
ical impression  in  order  to  operate  on  the  mental  facul- 
ties. It  is  well  known  that  lobelia  will  produce  vomit- 
ing. The  philosophy  is  this :  lobelia  is  a  foreign  sub- 
stance, does  not  belong  to  the  stomach.  As  soon  as  it  is 
thrown  into  it,  the  whole  system  learns  there  is  an  un- 
lawful tenant  there,  and  sends  its  fluids  to  neutralize  it ; 
the  stomach  cramps,  has  spasms,  and,  as  a  result,  dis- 
gorges its  contents.  In  this  case,  vomiting  was  produced 
as  a  result  of  a  physical  impression.  Now,  this  effect 
could  be  produced  by  producing  a  mental  impression. 
Make  the  patient  hioii\  beyond  a  doubt,  that  he  has  taken 
any  kii;d  of  medicine,  and  the  same  result  as  though  he 
had  taken  the  medicine  will  follow.  Speak  to  a  very 
sensitive  lady  in  a  positive  manner,  so  as  to  make  her 
believe,  beyond  a  doubt,  that  she  has  swallowed  a  fly, 
and  vomiting  will  be  the  result.  The  stomach  will  not 
retain  a  fly ;  and  the  effect  of  making  a  person  believe 
that  a  fly  is  in  the  stomach  is  the  same  as  though  it  was 
there.  Criminals  condemned  to  death  have  been  put 
on  clean,  nice  beds,  and  been  made  to  believe  that  per- 
sons had  recently  died  with  small-pox  on  the  beds  on 
which  they  were  to  sleep :  the  result  was,  they  took  the 
contagion,  and  died.  In  hundreds  of  instances,  mental 
impressions  have  ci*eated  disease  by  which  patients  have 
lost  their  lives.  A  man  was  once  lying  on  his  back, 
vuiable  to  move,  from  inflammatory  rheumatism,  when 
he  saw  his  father  fall  from  the  top  of  a  cherry-tree  in 
the  yard,  and,  he  su})posed,  kill  himself.  The  invalid 
jumped  from  his  helpless  position,  and  picked  up  his 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  169 

fatlier,  anlcarriecl  liiin  into  tlie  house,  and  was  perfectly 
ijurprised  to  find  himself  restored  to  health." 

Eld.  —  "  What  removed  his  disease  ?  " 

Phil.  —  "  The  excitement  of  the  occasion.  Now, 
man  should  look  from  such  phenomena  to  the  law  which 
produces  them,  and  he  liught  apply  it  with  beneficial 
results." 

Our  philosopher  is  correct.  The  excitement  started 
the  electric  fmid,  and  that  started  all  the  fluids  of  the 
system  into  action  :  the  result  was  a  complete  change  for 
the  better.  We  personally  knew  of  an  individual,  who 
held  a  county  office  by  the  suffrage  of  the  people,  who 
went  to  a  political  meeting  of  the  party  whose  senti- 
ments he  did  not  indorse  ;  and  upon  being  called  a  liar, 
knave,  and  villain,  and  accused  of  stealing,  and  several 
other  such  crimes  as  politicians  usually  accuse  the  party 
In  power  of  committing,  the  individual  became  so  excited, 
that  he  took  an  apoplectic  fit,  ,and  died.  Whatever 
doctors  and  coroner's  juries  may  have  decided,  this  man 
was  killed  by  the  abuse  heaped  on  him  by  the  speaker. 
Now,  the  law  by  which  this  man  was  killed  might  be 
used  in  many  cases  (perhaps  not  to  so  great  an  extent 
as  was  here  used)  with  beneficial  results.  There  are 
thousands  of  hypochondriacs  to-day  who  need  nothing 
more  than  to  have  their  anger  thoroughly  aroused  to 
effect  a  cure.  The  system  can  not  remain  diseased 
7/here  the  electric  fluid  flows  properly;  and,  where  it 
does  not,  disease  must  be  the  result. 

Will  some  philosopher  tell  the  power  by  which  our 
pen  now  moves  in  obedience  to  our  will  ?  All  acknowl- 
edge that  somehoiv  mind  is  the  propelling  power.  All 
volition  inheres  in  mind  or  spirit.     The  mind  wills  the 


170  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

pen  to  mo^  e  ;  but  tlie  mind  can  not  operate  upon  the  pen 
without  a  medium :  it  uses  the  hand  as  the  medium  by 
wliich  to  move  the  pen.  But  the  mind  can  not  touch  the 
hand  :  it  must  operate  on  something  it  can  touch.  The 
muscle  can  operate  on  the  bones  of  the  hand,  and  all 
other  bones ;  but  the  mind  can  not  operate  on  the' 
muscle  :  the  blood,  however,  can.  Now,  all  would  be 
right  if  the  mind  could  operate  on  the  blood  ;  but  that  it 
can  not  do.  The  nerves,  or  rather  the  electric  currents 
flowing  through  the  nerves,  can  operate  on  the  blood ; 
and  the  mind  operates  directly  on  these  currents.  Henc3 
we  have  it  as  foUc'W  -j. :  the  mind,  or  spirit,  which  has  its 
throne  in  the  brain,  wdiich  is  but  the  termination  of  all 
the  nerves  of  the  system,  operates  on  electricity,  uses  it 
as  its  agent ;  the  electricity  operates  on  the  nerves,  the 
nerves  on  the  blood,  the  blood  on  the  muscle,  the  muscle 
on  the  bone,  the  bone  on  the  pen,  and  thus  the  spirit 
writes.  If  other  spirits  could  become  positive  to  the 
spirit  controlhng  this  organism,  they  could  control  this 
spirit,  and  through  it  the  entire  organism. 

Now  suppose,  while  writing,  our  pen  suddenly  drops 
from  our  hand,  and  the  hand  to  our  side,  totally  para- 
lyzed :  where  is  the  disease  ?  No  scalpel  can  find  it. 
Cut  the  body  into  inch  pieces,  and  the  right  side,  though 
utterly  unable  to  move,  would,  to  all  appearances,  be 
found  as  healthy  as  the  other.  Then  why  does  not  the 
right  hand  move  as  well  as  the  left?  We  answer, 
When  the  mind  wislies  tlie  hand  to  move,  it  telegraphs 
ironi  its  office  in  the  brain  along  these  nerves  to  the 
hand  to  move  ;  and  the  hand  always  does  its  bidding. 
]3ut  when  there  is  an  obstruction  in  the  nerves,  so  the 
electiifity  can  not  flow,  the  hand  can  not  receive  the 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  171 

dispatch,  aiul  hence  can  not  know  that  it  has  been  re- 
quested to  move.  Remove  the  obstruction  from  the 
nerves,  so  that  the  electricity  can  flow  properly,  and  all 
is  well. 

All  disease  is  either  positive  or  negative,  and  always 
lio-hts  on  the  weakest  part  of  the  patient.  Load  a 
wao-on  too  heavily,  and  the  weakest  part  will  break :  so, 
if  a  person  is  weakei'  in  the  knees  than  the  lungs,  his 
disease  may  be  inflammatory  rhemnatism  ;  if  weakest  in 
the  lungs,  it  may  be  lung  fever;  if,  perchance,  the  kidneys 
are  the  weakest,  all  other  portions  of  the  organism  might 
escape,  and  the  patient  be  afflicted  Avith  inflammation  in 
those  organs.  If  the  currents  flow  too  rapidly,  the  dis- 
ease is  positive  ;  and  the  result  is  fever,  acute  pain,  and 
sometimes  insanity.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  currents 
do  not  flow  rapidly  enough,  the  result  Avill  be  cold  ex- 
tremities, dull,  stupid  feehngs,  partial  or  total  paralysis, 
&c.  In  either  instance,  all  that  is  needed  is  to  set  the 
currents  of  electricity  into  proper  action.  How  can 
this  be  done  ?  As  our  philosopher  intimated,  sometimes 
by  prayer,  sometimes  by  anger,  and  sometimes  by  excite- 
ment. 

in  order  to  remove  or  control  the  disease  of  a  patient, 
the  operator  must  at  least  have  a  partial  control  of 
the  electric  currents  of  the  system :  those  he  can  control 
by  controlHng  tlie  mind  of  the  patient ;  and  that  must  be 
done  by  the  electric  currents  of  his  own  system.  These 
cun-ents,  especially  so  far  as  the  voluntary  organs  are 
concerned,  must  be  under  the  control  of  his  will-power : 
lie  must  by  will-power  overcome  the  will  of  the  patient ; 
to  do  this,  the  patient  must  be  kept  in  a  receptive  or 
negative  condition.     This  is  easily  done  by  gaining  and 


]72  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

retaining  the  confidence  of  tlic  patient;  so,  if  the  patient 
is  a  great  believer  in  prayer,  the  surest  metliod  will  be 
to  i)ray.     If  not,  some  other  means  must  be  devised. 

The  electric  currents  flowino-  throuo-h  the  nerves  can 
be  made  to  pass  through  the  nerves  of  any  number  of 
persons  by  their  joniing  hands.  Witness  where  a  dozen 
or  more  form  a  circle,  and  those  at  the  ends  hold  on  to 
a  battery,  all  in  the  circle  will  receive  the  same  shock 
at  the  same  time.  The  nerves  of  those  havino;  hold  of  the 
latter  are  filled  with  electricity;  and  electric  currents, 
like  all  things  else,  seek  their  equilibrium,  and  hence 
infill  the  nerves  of  all  who  are  in  contact  with  those  in 
connection  with  the  battery.  Now,  let  patient  and  ope- 
rator come  in  contact,  either  mental  or  physical,  and  the 
electric  currents  at  once  seek  an  equilibrium :  when 
that  has  been  obtained,  the  cause  of  disease  has  been 
removed.  Now,  in  proportion  to  the  oj^erator's  medium- 
ship,  he  is  interwoven  with  a  circle  of  spirits,  who  can 
impart  to  him  the  needed  life  and  health  giving  in- 
fluences ;  and  in  proportion  as  he  passes  into  magnetic 
rapport  with  his  patients,  will  they  be  brought  into  con- 
nection with  a  health-imparting  influence  from  the  be- 
yond. This  we  know,  both  as  a  matter  of  science  and 
history.  Having  spent  near  six  years  in  the  study  and 
practice  of  this  mediumship,  our  faith  takes  hold  of  the 
wonderful  cures  wrought  by  prophets,  Jesus,  and  his 
comrades  of  olden  time.  We  know  there  is  a  law  by 
which  such  thino;s  are  beino;  done  now  :  that  law, 
beino;  as  old  as  heaven,  reaches  back  over  the  first  case 
of  healing,  and  is  more  eternal  than  the  "  everlasting 
hills." 

We  frankly  confess,  that,  in   our  healing  efforts,  we 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  173 

fiave  tailcnl  to  perforin  a  perfect  cure  In  three  cases  out 
of  five  ;  hut  fjoes  that  prove  there  is  nothing  in  this  me- 
diunisliip,  ur  that  it  has  not  been  vouchsafed  to  us  ?  No : 
it  only  [)i'oves  that  in  cases  of  failure  we  did  not  get 
en  rajjjyort,  either  with  the  fountains  whence  we  drew 
our  supply,  or  with  the  i)atient  to  whom  we  humbly 
sought  to  impart  the  needed  blessing.  The  best  healers 
in  the  world  fail  sometimes.  It  was  so  anciently  ;  and  it 
is  so  to-day.  Jesus  often  failed.  In  his  own  country,  his 
brethren  became  offended  with  liim  :  the  result  was  such 
nn  antagonism  that  he  could  not  do  any  thing.  The 
Evangelist  says,  — 

''  And  they  were  offended  with  him.  But  Jesus  said 
unto  tliern,  A  prophet  is  not  without  honor,  save  in  his 
own  country  and  in  his  own  house.  And  he  did  not 
many  mighty  works  there,  because  of  their  unbelief."  — 
Matt.  xiii.  57,  58. 

In  j\Iark  vi.  4-6,  we  read,  — 

"  But  Jesus  said  unto  them,  A  prophet  is  not  without 
r.onor,  but  in  his  own  country,  and  among  his  own  kin, 
and  in  his  own  house.  And  he  could  there  do  no  mighty 
work,  save  that  he  laid  his  hands  upon  a  few  sick  folk, 
and  healed  them.  And  he  marveled  because  of  their  un- 
belief.   And  he  went  round  about  the  villao-es  teachino-." 

In  Mark  ix.  17-29,  we  have  a  full  history  of  the  fail- 
ure of  Jesus'  disciples  in  one  case,  and  of  his  statement 
as  to  the  cause.  Even  after  the  young  man  was  healed, 
the  friends  pronounced  him  dead.  In  this  case,  Jesus 
would  not  operate  until  he  saw  that  the  father,  who  was 
en  rapport  with  the  patient,  with  tears  in  his  eyes 
avowed  his  entire  confidence  in  the  healing  power  of 
the  Nazarene.  The  case  is  so  interesting,  we  give  it 
entire :  — 


174  THE   QCTESTION  SETTLED. 

"  And  one  of  the  multitude  answered  and  said,  Master, 
I  have  brought  unto  thee  my  son,  ■\vliich  hath  a  dumb 
spirit :  and  wheresoever  he  taketh  him  he  tearetli  him  , 
and  he  foameth,  and  gnasheth  with  his  teetli,  and  pinetL 
away  ;  and  I  spake  to  thy  disciples,  that  they  should  cast 
him  out;  and  they  could  not.  He  answereth  him,  and 
saith,  O  faithless  generation  !  how  long  shall  I  be  witJi 
you?  how  long  shall  I  suffer  you?  bring  him  unto  me. 
And  they  brought  him  unto  him  :  and  when  he  saw  him, 
straightway  the  s|)irit  tare  him  ;  and  he  fell  on  the 
ground  and  wallowed  foaming.  And  he  asked  his 
lather,  How  long  is  it  ago  since  this  came  unto  him? 
And  he  said.  Of  a  child.  And  oft-times  it  hath  cast 
him  into  the  tire,  and  into  the  waters,  to  destroy  him ; 
but,  if  thou  canst  do  any  thing,  have  compassion  on  us, 
and  help  us.  Jesus  said  unto  him.  If  thou  canst  be- 
lieve, all  things  are  possible  to  him  that  belie veth.  And 
straightway  the  father  of  the  child  cried  out,  and  said 
with  tears.  Lord,  I  believe:  help  thou  mine  unbeliefs 
When  Jesus  saw  that  the  people  came  running  together, 
he  rebuked  the  foul  spirit,  saying  unto  him,  Thou  dumb 
and  deaf  spirit,  I  charge  thee,  come  out  of  him,  and 
enter  no  more  into  him.  And  the  spirit  cried,  and  rent 
him  sore,  and  came  out  of  him  ;  and  he  was  as  one  dead, 
insomuch  that  many  said.  He  is  dead.  But  Jesus  took 
him  by  the  hand,  and  hfted  him  up  ;  and  he  arose. 
And  when  he  was  come  into  the  house,  his  disciples 
asked  him  privately,  Why  could  not  we  cast  him  out  ? 
And  he  said  unto  them.  This  kind  can  come  forth  by 
nothing  but  by  prayer  and  fasting." 

This  case  is  sufficient  to  show  that  in  ancient  times, 
where  one  medium  failed  to  remove  disease,  another 
could  sometimes  afford  the  needed  relief. 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  175 

In  this  chapter  we  have  briefly  gone  througli  the  New 
Testament,   and  sliown  that  behevers  r.]i(«uld  exercise 
the  same  powei  Jesus  used.     We  have  also  shown,  from 
science,  the  probabilities  that  such  things  should  occur. 
It  remains,  that  we  present  a  few  historical  facts,  show- 
ing that  the  Christ-power  is  yet  on  the  earth.     We  have 
so  often  been  relieved  of  distress  in  our  own  person, 
and  have  on  so  many  occasions  witnessed  it  in  others, 
that  it  would  take  a  larger  volume  than  the  one  w^e  are 
writing  to   hold  every  narrative  we  could  bring.     From 
the  hands  of   Dr.  J.  R.  Newton  of  Boston,    Dr.  J.  P. 
Bryant   of  New  York,  Drs.  Freeman  and  Wilbur  of 
Milwaukee,  we  have  experienced  such  sudden  and  per- 
fect relief,  that  we  could  not  question  the  power.     We 
liave  seen  persons,  within  five  miiuites  of  the  time  they 
have  hobbled  into  the  presence  of  Dr.  Newton  or  Bryant, 
on  crutches,  leave  their  crutches,  and  go  away  perfectly 
well,  in  many  histances  "  leaping,  and  rraising  God." 
We  have  witnessed  the  opening  of  blind  eyes,  and  have 
heard  tongues  long  silent  lisp  the  praise  of  the  poA\  er 
by  which  they  were  loosed.     We,  ourself,  have,  l3y  the 
w^ord  or  touch,  cured  nearly  every  ailment  that  over- 
takes the  flesh. 

A  few  statements  from  those  ^\Lo  have  been  healed 
may  not  come  amiss  here.  We  have  seen  an  autograph 
letter,  of  which  the  following  is  a  true  co])y :  — 

I>;dianapolis,  Ind.,  1\ov.  30,  1868. 

Dr.  J.  R.  Newtox.  Dear  Sir,  —  Duty  impels  me 
to  give  you  a  plain  statement  of  my  life's  sufferings,  and 
cure  by  you  ;  which  you  may  i)ublish. 

I,   Abraham  Clarke,  of  Indianapolis,   Ind.,  twenty- 


176  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

one  years  old  tlie  25t]i  inst.,  having  been  a  paralytic 
cri})ple  ever  since  I  was  three  months  old,  unable  even 
to  lift  my  hands  up  to  my  head,  or  walk  without  great 
difficult}^,  and  so  nervous  I  could  hardly  stand  or  sit  still, 
and  at  times  suffering  so  great  pain  that  my  wailings 
were  intolerable  to  those  around  me,  on  Saturday  last, 
Nov.  28,  went  with  my  mother  to  see  if  you  could 
cure  me  ;  for  1  had  heard  so  much  of  your  wonderful 
power  of  curing  all  kinds  of  diseases,  without  medicine, 
which  all  other  doctors  said  were  incurable,  that  I  had 
faith  you  could. 

To  make  a  short  story,  I  say,  you  cured  me  perfectly^ 
with  one  treatment.  I  arose  upon  my  feet,  walked 
without  limping,  with  a  firm,  easy  step,  raised  my  hands 
above  my  head ;  then  I  took  a  large,  heavy  chair  in 
either  hand  by  the  leo[  of  each,  holdino;  and  balancino; 
them  above  my  head  as  few  well  men  can  do.  And,  to 
sum  it  all  u}),  I  say  that  I  am  made  whole  and  sound  as 
any  other  living  man,  as  flir  as  I  know  or  others  discern, 
and  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  am  in  the  full  enjoy- 
ment of  heahh.  And  I  tliank  my  lieavenly  Father  that 
I  am  a  well  man.     My  former  W^^i  and  suffering  seem 

like  a  dream. 

In  gratitude,  I  am  your  friend. 

Aim  A  HAM  Clarke. 

Indianapolis,  Nov.  30,  1S6S. 

Personally  appeared  before  me  Abraham  Clarke, 
wlu)  deposes  under  oath  that  the  foregoing  statement  is 
every  woixl  true. 

Subscribed  and  sworn   before  nie,  J.   P.   Pinker  ton, 

a  Notary  Public,   in  and   lor  the    County  of    Marion, 

State  of  Indiana. 

J.  P.  Pinivp:rton,  Notary  Public. 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  177 

The  foregoing  statement  of  my  son,  Abraham  Clarke, 
is  all  true.  Isabella  Clarke. 

Dr.  Newton  is  now  operating  at  No.  28  Harrison 
Avenue,  Boston,  where  there  are  on  exhibition  faith- 
ful photographic  likenesses  of  this  young  man,  taken 
immediately  before  and  after  his  treatment :  the  differ- 
ence ill  his  looks  could  not  be  imagined  by  one  who  had 
not  seen  them. 

Tbe  following  we  copy  from  "  The  New- York  Dis- 
patch : ''  — 

a  just  TRIBUTE  TO  DR.  J.  R.  NEWTON. 

New  York,  Oct.  2 

Dear  Sir,  —  Having  seen  in  "  The  Tribune  "  of 
Sept.  10  an  account  of  *'  Healing  by  Magnetism,"  I 
can  not,  in  justice  to  Dr.  Newton  or  to  my  own  feel- 
ings, refrain  from  giving  a  true  statement  of  the  most 
wonderful  and  impressive  scene  that  I  have  ever  wit- 
nessed in  my  life  of  nearly  fifty  years.  The  daughter 
of  my  brother,  a  farmer  residing  in  New  Boston,  N.H., 
has,  for  the  past  three  years,  been  one  of  the  greatest 
sufferers,  and  for  six  years  an  invalid,  suffering  from 
spinal  disease  and  other  ailments.  Her  father  has  la- 
bored by  day  and  night  to  secure  for  her  the  services  of 
eleven  of  the  best  physicians  in  the  neighborhood  of  his 
home  :  but  her  disease  has  defied  their  utmost  efforts 
and  skill  :  and  thev  had  left  her  to  lino-er  and  die,  de- 
daring  they  could  do  no  more  for  her. 

The  father,  in  agony  of  heart,  wrote  me  that  he  knew 
not  what  to  do.  Deeply  sympathizing  with  him,  and 
being  about  to  visit  some  friends  in  Vermont,  I  wrote 

12 


178  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

to  inform  hiin  that  I  had  heard  of  one  Dr.  J.  R.  New 
ton  (hat  I  had  never  seen  him),  who  was  reported  to 
have  performed  some  wonderful  cures  ;  and  if  his  daugh 
ter  wished  to  come,  and  could  bear  the  journey  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  miles,  and  would  write  me  while  in 
Vermont,  I  would  go  to  his  house,  and  bring  her  home 
with  me  to  see  Dr.  Newton.  The  answer  was  in  the 
affirmative,  and  I  went  to  see  my  niece  ;  but  when  I 
entered  the  chamber  of  the  sick  girl,  and  looked  upon 
her  wan  and  emaciated  body,  that  had  wasted,  since  I 
last  saw  her,  from  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds 
to  less  than  seventy ;  when  I  recollected  that  she  had 
lain  in  that  situation  for  two  long  years,  depending  for 
every  motion  upon  kind  and  gentle  hands,  my  faith  left 
me :  I  did  not  believe  she  could  be  moved,  much  less 
cured. 

She  was,  however,  willing  and  anxious  to  make  the 
attempt  ;  and  when  we  laid  her  carefully  upon  a  narrow 
bed,  and  carried  her  down  stairs,  and  placed  her  in  a 
carriao-e  to  ride  eia'hteen  miles  to  the  cars,  it  seemed  the 
height  of  folly  to  start  on  such  an  undertaking  with  such 
a  charge,  with  such  a  faint  hold  on  human  life.  When 
she  reached  the  cars,  she  said  it  seemed  as  though  all 
her  strength  was  gone,  and  that  she  could  not  live  much 
longer.  She  was,  however,  restored  bv  the  use  of  stim- 
ulants  ;  and  we  went  on.  She  was  taken  one  hundred 
and  seventeen  miles  by  railroad,  and  one  hundred  and 
fifteen  by  steamboat,  and  arrived  in  New  York  on  the 
morning  of  Aug.  30.  The  patient  had  suffered  in- 
tensely through  the  whole  of  the  journey.  It  was  with 
o;reat  difficulty  that  she  was  carried  on  a  stretcher  to  the 
house  of  her  friends.     She  reached  them,  however,  but 


THE  QUESTION  SETTLED.  179 

not  to  gi'eet  tbcm.  Her  %tlier  and  two  wee2)ing  sisters, 
with  others,  stood  around  what  all  supposed  to  be  her 
dymg  bed. 

Dr.  Newton  had  been  informed  of  her  case ;  and,  in 
the  unbounded  kindness  of  his  heart  (contrary  to  his 
practice),  he  left  his  house,  and  hastened  to  the  sick  girl. 

The  solemnity  and  impressiveness  of  that  scene  will 
for  ever  be  remembered  by  all  who  were  preseni,  but  it 
can  never  be  described.  In  a  manner  (as  the  doctor 
truly  says)  peculiar  to  himself,  he  treated  the  uncon- 
scious and  apparently  dying  patient ;  and  in  less  than 
three  minutes  she  sat  up  in  bed.  She  then  arose  to  her 
feet,  and  walked  the  floor  with  the  doctor's  assistance. 

Her  pain  and  suffering  had  all  gone.  Her  spine, 
which  had  not  been  touched  for  years  without  giving 
her  intense  pain,  could  now  be  roughly  handled  by  all 
present.  Food  was  immediately  ordered  ;  and  amid  the 
solemn  silence  of  the  room,  where  there  was  no  sound 
save  the  sobs  and  fast-flowing  tears  of  joy,  she  partook 
of  the  food.  She  ate  heartily,  and  relished  and  enjoyed 
such  a  meal  as  she  had  not  done  in  five  years. 

I  am  forced  to  look  back  with  wonder  and  amazement 
at  the  above-described  scene,  and  bound  to  ackncw:- 
edge  that  it  is  beyond  the  reach  of  my  mind  to  under- 
stand. I  have  only  to  say  that  her  pleasant  voice  and 
cheerful  smile  greet  us  at  the  table  of  the  family  circle 
daily  :  she  has  continued  to  improve  from  that  hour,  and 
stands  to-day  a  living  witness,  ever  ready  to  testify  to 
the  power  and  goodness  of  her  heavenly  Father,  as  ex- 
tended to  her  throuo;h  the  kind-hearted  and  benevolent 
Dr.  Newton.  Moses  Cristy, 

M.  380,  Fearl  Street,  Miv  York. 


180  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

As  we  spoke  of  seeing  blindness  cured,  we  will  give 
one  affidavit. 

Peter  Manning,  being  swoni,  deposes  and  says:  I  live 
in  Bordentown,  N.J.  On  the  30th  of  October,  1862, 
I  called  on  Dr.  J.  H.  Newton.  I  was  blind  two  years 
and  three  months.  When  I  came  to  Dr.  Newton,  I  was 
so  bad  that  I  could  not  see  a  gaslight  in  front  of  me  ; 
after  ten  minutes'  treatment,  without  pain,  I  was  enabled 
to  see  to  read  and  write,  and  have  kept  my  own  books 
ever  since.  Petes,  Manning. 

Sworn  and  subscribed  before  me,  this  fourth  day  of 
JNIarch,  1863.  Wm.  P.  Hibbekd,  Alderman. 

Hundreds  of  testimonials  such  as  the  above  could  be 
gathered ;  but  it  is  unnecessary.  These  cases  are  of 
such  frequent  occurrence,  that  the  reader  can  very  easily 
su[)ply  himself  with  all  the  documentary  evidence  neces- 
sary. 

Now,  in  all  candor,  permit  us  to  ask.  What  can  be 
done  with  such  cases  as  the  above  ?  They  are  before 
the  w^orld,  and  demand  an  explanation.  Jesus  said, 
"  These  sip'ns  shall  follow  them  that  believe."  Are 
they  not  sufficient  to  prove,  to  those  who  think,  that 
there  are  true  believers,  at  least,  among  the  Spirituahsts  ? 
A  conversation  once  occurred  between  ourself  and  a 
lady  of  the  Advent  faitli,  which  sufficiently  illustrates 
the  point :  —   . 

Lady.  —  "I  saw  you  operate  on  Mrs. last  even- 
ing ;  and,  though  we  supposed  her  case  to  be  hopeless, 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  181 

slic-  was  perfectly  restored  in  a  few  minutes :  but  it  was 
the  Devil  that  cured  her.'* 

Hull.  —  "  Pretty  fine  old  gentleman,  that  Devil  of 
[Voui's.  If  that  is  a  specimen  of  his  character,  he  has 
leen  grossly  slandered :  what  ci  pity  that  churches  and 
ministers  misrepresent  everybody,  not  excepting  even 
the  Devil  himself!" 

]^.  —  "  The  Devil  is  not  so  good,  after  all.     He  made 

Mrs.  sick,  and  then   sent  you,  his  agent,  to  cure 

her.'' 

H.  —  "  Then  Satan's  kingdom  is  divided  against  itself, 
and  can  not  stand:  so  we  can  begin  to  hope  to  soon  get 
rid  of  his  Majesty." 

L.  —  "Not  at  all.     They  are  all  parts  of  the  same 

work.     The  Devil  made  Mrs. sick,  and  then  sent 

you,  his  agent,  to  make  her  well :  he  knew  that  she 
would  see  the  heyievolenee  manifested  in  curing  her, 
rather  than  the  malevolence  of  maldng  her  sick.  He  is 
removing  disease  from  the  lady  for  the  sake  of  getting 
possession  of  her  soul." 

H.  —  "  In  your  remarks  you  have  given  me  another 
evidence  that  I  am  a  disciple  of  Jesus  ;  for  he  said, — 

"  '  It  is  enough  for  the  disciple  that  he  be  as  his  master, 
a:id  the  servant  as  his  lord.  If  they  have  called  the 
master  of  the  house  Beelzebub,  how  much  more  shall 
they  call  them  of  his  household  ?  '  —  Matt.  x.  25. 

"  If  such  charges  were  brought  by  the  popular  church 
against  a  former  healer,  what  better  could  we  expect 
now  ?  " 

L.  —  "  But  Tils  mission  was  divine:  yours  is  not.'* 

H.  —  "  Spiritualists  prove  the  divinity  of  their  mis- 
sion in  the  same  way  that  Jesus  proved  his  was   an 


182  THE    QUESTION   SETTLED. 

errand  of  mercy  to  liumanity.     If  you  will  turn  to  Matt, 
xi.  2-6,  you  will  read,  — 

"  '  Now,  when  John  had  heard  in  the  prison  the  works 
of  Christ,  he  sent  two  of  his  disciples,  and  said  unto  him. 
Art  thou  he  that  should  come,  or  do  we  look  for  another  ? 
Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Go  and  show  John 
again  those  things  which  ye  do  hear  and  see  :  the  blind 
receive  their  sight,  and  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are 
cleansed,  and  the  deaf  hear,  the  dead  are  raised  up,  and 
the  poor  have  the  gospel  preached  unto  them.' 

"Now,  I  ask,  in  all  candor.  Was  Jesus'  logic  good? 
Did  lie  prove  the  divinity  of  his  mission  by  such  works  ? 
Then  will  not  the  same  works  prove  the  divinity  of  the 
power  by  ^^•hich  they  are  wrought  ?  How  startling 
your  logic !  you  prove  Jesus  a  God  by  his  good  works, 
and  healing-mediums  Devils  by  the  same  !  " 

L.  —  "  I  do  not  choose  to  argue  with  you.  Christ  is 
coming  shortly  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  Devil :  then 
these  questions  will  be  settled." 

H.  —  "Christ  came  once   in  the  person  of  Jesus  Oi 
Nazareth,  and  through  him  did  many  great  works  ;  but 
he  was,  according  to  promise,  to  come  again,  not  in  the 
person  of  one  reformer.     Jude  says, — 

"  '  Behold  he  cometh  with  ten  thousand  of  his  saints.' 
—  Verse  14. 

"  Tlie  Greek  word  rendered  '  with,'  in  this  text,  is  en^ 
and  should  be  rendered  'in.'  The  Christ-power  came 
once  in  one  reformer  ;  now  it  has  come  in  ten  thousand 
mediums  :  so  that  almost  every  hamlet  on  the  continent 
has  the  evidence  that  the  second  comino;  of  the  Christ 
is  accomplishing  more  than  was  accomplished  through 
the  mediumsliip  of  Jesus." 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  183 

L.  —  "  But  wliere  are  tlie  clouds  ?  He  was  to  come 
in  the  clouds." 

H.  —  "So  he  was  to  come  on  horseback.  John 
says,— 

"  '  And  I  saw  heaven  opened,  and,  behold,  a  white 
hoi'se  ;  and  he  that  sat  upon  him  was  called  Faithful  and 
True  ;  and  in  righteousness  he  doth  judge  and  make  war. 
His  eyes  were  a  flame  of  fire,  and  on  his  head  were 
many  crowns ;  and  he  had  a  name  written,  that  no  man 
knew  but  he  himself.  And  he  was  clothed  in  a  vesture 
dipped  in  bh)od ;  and  his  name  is  called.  The  Word  of 
God.  And  the  armies  which  were  in  ,heaven  followed 
him  upon  white  horses,  clothed  in  fine  linen,  white  and 
clean.  And  out  of  his  mouth  goeth  a  sharp  sword,  that 
with  it  he  should  smite  the  nations ;  and  he  shall  rule 
them  with  a  rod  of  iron  ;  and  he  treadeth  the  win^-press 
of  the  fierceness  and  wrath  of  Almighty  God.  And  he 
hath  on  his  vesture  and  on  his  thigh  a  name  written, 
KING  OF  KINGS,  AND  LORD  OF  LOKDS.'  — 
Rev.  xix.  11-16. 

"  But  who  looks  for  '  the  Kino;  of  kino-s  and  Lord  of 
lords  '  on  an  old  gray  horse,  because  of  this  declaration  ? 
jNIa}^  not  the  clouds,  like  the  horses,  be  symbols  ?  Clouds 
of  witnesses  are  mentioned  in  the  Bible  ;  and  to-day  it 
is  said  that  there  are  eleven  millioiis  of  witnesses  of  the 
hviiig  Christ-power  manifested  on  earth  at  the  present 
time.  I  tell  you  Christ  is  here  :  you  have  had  a  demon- 
stration of  it  in  the  healing  of  this  lady." 

L.  —  "But  the  grave  is  to  yield  up  its  victory,  and 
death  its  sting,  when  Christ  comes  :  I  do  not  see  as  that 
is  done." 

H.  —  "I  do.     Once  I  regarded  death  as  a  dark  and 


184  THE  QUESTION   SETTLED. 

3ruel  foe.  When  my  friends  were  taken  from  me,  if 
iliey  were  not  stung,  I  was.  Now  the  grave  into  which 
I  used  to  look  for  my  mother  holds  her  no  longer.  I 
know  she  is  not  there,  I  have  seen  her  and  talked  with 
her.  She  lives  to-day ;  and,  for  myself,  death  has  lost 
its  sting.  I  do  not  dread  it.  It  is  natural ;  it  is  right : 
but  I  11  ever  could  see  it  so  until  it  was  manifest  in  the 
second  comino;  of  Christ." 

This  chapter  has  already  grown  beyond  the  limits  in- 
tended :  but  we  can  not  conclude  without  issuins:  a  dial- 
lenge  to   the    theological  world.     Not   for  words,  but 
deeds.     We  cad  for  a  convention  of  the  religious  world, 
tlie  object  of  which  shall  be  to  ascertain  where  the  true 
believers  are,  the  matter  to  be  tested  by  their  works. 
Jesus  says  the  believers  shall  accomplish  even  greater 
works  than  were  wrought  through  his  mediumship.     Are 
the   churches  believers  ?     Will  they  try  it  ?     If  they 
will  go  into  convention,  and  do  the  works  Jesus  did,  we 
propose,  in  behalf  of  Spiritualism,  to  acknowledge  them 
believers.     If  they  can  not,  will  they  be  honest  enough 
to  confess  themselves    infidels  ?     After   they  have   all 
tried  and  failed,  as  fail  they  will  as  sure  as  they  try, 
we  are  willing  to  be  one  of  twenty  mediums  (that  is 
one  hundred  less  in  number  than  they  had  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost),  who  will  go  upon  the  same  rostrum,  into 
the  same  assembly  where  the  churches  failed;  and  if 
we  do  not,  in  a  less  space  of  time  than  ten  days,  accom- 
plish all  tliat  was  done  by  the  disciples  within  the   first 
ten  days  after  the  ascension  of  Jesus,  we  will  acknowl- 
edge  that   Spiritualists  are   like   the   churches,  —  they 
are  infidels.     If,  however,  we  accomplish  the  work,  will 
the  orthodox  world  take  back  the  slanderous,  libelous 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  185 

cliarge  of  infidelity  ?  We  hand  out  this  challenge  in 
all  sinoeritj,  yet  not  with  any  hope  that  it  will  he  ac- 
cepted. 

That  all  strife  and  sectism  may  give  place  to  the  pure 
doctrines  and  practices  which  make  men  better,  and 
prove  them  humble  followers  after  ali  truth  and  virtue, 
is  our  most  earnest  nraver. 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

ARE     WE     DELUDED? 

A.  Common  Cry  — Contradictory  Positions  —  Order  of  Batteries  —  They  fire  into 
each  other— "  Kettle  Story  "  — Result  of  the  "Warfare  — Dialogue  — God 
and  Mediums  deceiving  the  World  —  Are  God  and  the  Devil  Partners  — 13 
it  just  to  damn  the  World  for  UnbeUef — Author  tovcs  God  more  than  Bi- 
bles—  Lying  Spirits  sent  out — Did  God  do  it  —  Case  of  Jeremiah  and  Eze- 
kiel  —  Ezokiel's  Explanation  —  Spiritualism  a  Delusion  —  The  Lord  coming  — 
Reasoning  in  a  Circle— Wonderful  Success  of  the  Opposition  (?)  — Spirit- 
ualism will  not  "down"  — "Old  Split-foot"  — Toe-joint  Theory  — Hidden 
Meaning  in  appointing  these  Committees  —  The  Machinery  Argument  —  Ar- 
guments of  Opposers  suicidal  to  themselves  —  Human  Testimony  rejected 
—  Conditions  i-equired  —  Conditions  of  Sleep  —  Conversation  with  a  Pho- 
tographist-Conditions of  Photography  —  Telegraphy  —  Arguments  against 
Spiritualism  would  overthrow  tho  Bible  —  An  Infidel  Deacon  denies  his 
Bible—  A  Giant  Delusion  — Spiritralism  Twenty-two  Years  ago  and  now  — 
A  prospective  View  —  Spiritualism  Positive  and  Aggressive  —  Reasons  for  go- 
ing to  Church  — Churches  not  Proselyting  — Why  do  Persons  become  Spirit- 
ualists-Rev. A.  J.  Frishback's  Reply —  Suffering  for  Spiritualism  —  Minis- 
ters' Wives  in  the  Lunatic  Asylum  for  Spiritualism  — Author's  Experience  — 
The  Quality  of  Converts  to  Spiritualism  — Our  Evidence  not  in  the  Number 
or  Intelligence  of  Converts  — Giant  Minds  yield  — Atheien}  and  Materialism 
give  Place  — Hon.  N.  P.  Talmadge  and  J.  W.  Edmonds  —  "  The  Kings  of  the 
Earth"  — Opposers  fall  before  the  Power  — Gamaliel's  Opinion— A  charm- 
ing Delusion  — Efforts  to  convert  a  Spiritualist  — Death-bed  Scene  — "Oh, 
happy  Delusion  I "  —  It  is  not  a  Delusion  —  Child  Medium. 

FOR  iiiore  than  a  score  of  years  the  opponents  of 
Spirituah'^TA  have  heen  following  it  with  the  cry 
of  '^  delusion  f^^  Tho  only  thing  our  opponents  have 
ever  been  able  to  agree  in,  is,  that  Spiritualism  is  some 
kind  of  a  delusion.  Notwithstanding  all  agree  so  far,  it 
excites  the  mirth fnhiess  of  a  Spiritualist  who  is  posted 
up  as  to  its  evidences  to  hear  the  various  contradictory 

186 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  187 

V;^'>itJ<}ns  taken  by  those  whose  bread  and  butter  depends 
apon  putting  it  down.  Indeed,  we  ought  not  to  laugh 
at  their  cnlamity  ;  for  if  their  lives^  instead  of  their  living^ 
depended  on  writing  and  preaching  Spiritualism  down, 
they  could  not  succeed  any  better. 

Not  long  since,  it  was  our  privilege  to  attend  a  discus- 
sion wh^re  five  men  affirmed  that  Spiritualism  was  a  delu- 
sion. They  succeeded  admirably  in  agreeing  so  far :  but 
here  the  agreement  ended;  for,  before  they  had  finished 
their  arguments,  they  had  taken  every  one  of  the  nine 
contradictory  positions  usually  brought  to  bear  against  it 
and  each  other.  Each  speaker  succeeded  in  placing  him- 
self on  as  many  sides  of  each  of  the  contradictory  posi- 
tions usuallv  brought  to  bear  ao;ainst  each  other  as  his 
limited  time  would  allow.  As  we  listened  to  the  logic 
of  these  killers  of  Spiritualism,  we  thouglit.  What  a  won- 
der it  does  not  die,  men  shooting  at  it  from  nine  differ- 
ent directions  !  There  are  only  two  reasons  why  oppo- 
nents have  failed  to  kill  Spiritualism :  one  is,  they  have 
ever  fired  more  shots  at  each  other  than  at  then*  common 
enemy  ;  the  other  is.  Spiritualism  is  "  iron-clad."  Bun- 
ker-Hill Monument  could  be  battered  down  with  pop- 
guns easier  than  the  monument  erected  by  the  angel- 
world  to  show  its  existence,  power,  and  victories,  could  be 
overthrown  by  the  artillery  of  infidel  chmTh-members. 

If  the  batteries  pelting  at  Spiritualism  were  named 
and  numbered,  they  would  be  about  as  follows :  — 

Battery  No.  1.  —  "  And  for  this  cause  God  shall  send 
them  strong  delusion,  that  they  should  believe  a  lie ; 
that  they  all  might  be  damned  who  believed  not  the 
truth,  but  had  pleasure  in  unrighteousness."  —  2  Thess. 
ii.  11,  12. 

"  Spiritualism  is  Gori's  delusion." 


188  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

Battery  No.  2.  —  "  Even  him  whose  commg  is  after 
the  working  of  Satan,  with  all  power  and  signs  and  lying 
wonders,  and  with  all  deceivableness  of  unrighteousness 
in  them  that  perish  ;  because  they  received  not  the  love 
of  the  truth,  that  they  might  be  saved."  —  2  Thess. 
ii.  9,  10. 

''  For  they  are  the  spirits  of  devils,  workmg  miracles, 
which  go  forth  unto  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  of  the 
whole  world,  to  gather  them  to  the  battle  of  that  great 
day  of  God  Almighty."  —  Rev.  xvi.  11. 

"  Spiritualism  is  Satan's  last  and  greatest  delusion." 

Battery  No.  3.  —  "  The  manifestations  are  produced 
by  machinery." 

Battery  No.  4.  —  "  They  are  all  wicked  spirits." 

Battery  No.  5.  —  "  It  is  electricity." 

Battery  No.  6.  —  "  There  are  no  manifestations. 
Spiritualists  are  for  the  most  part  idiotic  or  insane. 
Those  who  are  not  are  lying  knaves,  dealing  out  de- 
ceptions to  the  credulous." 

Battery  No.  7.  —  "  Spiritualism  is  a  contagious  dis- 
ease, working  on  the  mind  as  small-pox  or  cholera 
does  or:  the  body." 

Battery  No.  8.  —  "  God  anciently  made  laws  against  it; 
it  is  therefore  wicked  to  have  any  thing  to  do  with  it." 

Battery  No.  9.  —  "  It  is  new  :  we  should  inquire  for 
the  old  paths,  and  stick  to  the  religion  of  our  fathers." 

One  would  naturally  think,  that,  under  the  fires  of 
nine  as  formidable  guns  as  these  look  to  be,  Spiritualism 
would  be  compelled  to  surrender ;  but,  when  the  smoke 
and  fog  occasioned  by  this  contest  clears  away,  we 
assure  all  that  not  a  shell  has  entered  the  arena  of  Spirit- 
ualism.    God-delusions  and  Devil-delusions  have  been 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  189 

shooting  at  each  other,  and  both  are  the  worse  for  the 
battle.  The  machinery  and  wicked-spirit  arguments 
have,  after  pitching  into  all  the  other  theories,  fallen 
from  blows  received  from  each  other.  The  electricity 
and  juggler  theories  have  annihilated  each  other.  The 
last-mentioned  battery  —  that  it  is  neiv  and  therefore  un- 
true —  has,  after  silencing  the  battery  stationed  where 
God  anciently  made  laws  against  Spiritualism,  surren- 
dered to  fires  from  eio;ht  directions. 

Really  such  a  jumble  of  absurdities  reminds  us  of 
the  ''  lawyer's  kettle."  A  noted  member  of  the  bar,  in 
summing  up  the  evidence  in  defense  of  a  client  who 
had  borrowed  a  kettle  and  returned  it  broken,  said, 
"  May  it  please  the  Court,  we  have  proved,  first,  that 
the  kettle  was  broken  when  we  borrowed  it ;  second, 
that  it  was  whole  when  we  took  it  home ;  and,  third, 
that  we  never  had  the  old  kettle  anyhow." 

The  answer  to  the  most  of  these  objections  must  be  re- 
served for  another  chapter.  We  only  design  here  to  note 
the  consistency,  or  rather  inconsistency,  of  opponents. 
This  bushwhacking  mode  of  warfare  has  resulted,  as 
might  have  been  expected,  in  converting  people  to  Spirit- 
ualism by  the  million,  until  now  the  number  of  Spirit- 
ualists can  not  be  computed ;  even  our  opponents,  some 
of  them,  setting  it  as  high  as  eleven  miUions.  Were 
there  eleven  millions  of  Spiritualists  two  years  since, 
when  tliis  computation  was  made  ?  If  so,  they  were 
eleven  millions  of  evidences  that  the  batteries  erected 
against  Spiritualism  have  slain  that  many  more  in  their 
own  ranks  than  in  ours. 

Once,  in  traveling  through  the  Western  States,  we  fell 
into  the  company  of  a  minister  vrho  was  perfectly  sui'e 


190  THE  QUESTION   SETTLED. 

that  Spiritualism  was  a  delusion.  The  substance  of  what 
passed  between  us  may  be  embodied  in  the  following 
dialoo'ue  :  — 

Minister.  —  "I  have  not  a  doubt  but  that  Spiritual- 
ism is  the  delusion  spoken  of  in  2  Thess.  ii.  11." 

Hull.  —  "  Then  Spiritualists  are  God^s  servants,  and 
you  are  fighting  against  him." 

MiN.  —  "  No.     How  can  that  be  ?  " 

H.  —  "  The  text  asserts  that  '  God  shall  send  them 
strong  delusions.'  If  your  intei-pretation  is  correct,  God 
has  sent  several  thousand  mediums  into  the  worlds  with 
a  delusion  to  deceive  the  world ;  and  they  would  accom- 
plish it,  if  it  were  not  that  you  are  exposing  the  plans  of 
God  and  the  mediums.'''' 

MiN.  —  "  God  has  nothing  to  do  with  it ;  he  is  op- 
posed to  it :  it  is  Satan  who  is  working,  with  power, 
signs,  and  lying  wonders." 

H.  —  "  Your  first  text  said  it  was  God  who  was  after 
the  people  with  a  delusion :  now  you  have  quoted  an- 
other verse  of  the  same  chapter  to  prove  that  it  is  the 
Devil.  Must  I  understand  that  the  Devil  is  God's  agent, 
—  that  he  is  working  among  the  people  because  God 
sends  them  a  delusion  ?  or  is  God  and  the  Devil  each 
after  them  with  a  deception  called  Spiritualism?  " 

MiN.  —  "  There  is  the  text :  make  of  it  what  you 
can.  God  will  damn  the  world  for  unbelief;  and  Spirit- 
ualists have  departed  from  the  faith,  and  denied  every 
cardinal  doctrine  of  the  Bible." 

H.  —  "And  so  you  are  going  to  have  the  world 
damned  for  unbelief,  are  you  ?  " 

MiN.  —  "I  am  not :   God  is." 

H.  —  "Is  there  any  justice  in  that?     Do   I   make 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  191 

my  own  faith  or  want  of  faith  ?  Can  I  govern  my  own 
belief  more  than  I  can  the  color  of  my  eyes  or  hair  ?  Is 
not  God  my  Author  ?  and  is  he  not  the  Anthor  of  truth  ? 
If  I  fail  to  harmonize  with  truth,  am  I,  who  neither 
made  my  common  sense,  nor  yet  the  stories  I  can  not 
believe,  to  blame  ?  But  your  text  asserts  more  than 
that.  It  does  not  simply  say  that  God  will  punish  im- 
belief ;  but  it  declares  that  God  will  send  strong  delusion 
after  them,  that  they  may  believe  a  lie^  that  he  may  damn 
them.     I  say  this  is  unjust." 

jNIix.  — "  If  you  loved  your  Bible,  you  w^ould  not 
dare  to  speak  as  you  do." 

H.  —  "I  love  my  Bible,  and  believe  more  of  it  each 
day  than  I  did  the  day  previous ;  but,  dearly  as  I  love 
the  Bible,  I  love  God  more.  I  could  not  see  his  char- 
acter sacrificed  in  this  manner  for  any  book.  I  find  it 
much  easier  to  believe  Paul  could  be  a  little  mistaken 
in  an  hypothesis,  than  to  think  God  stoops  thus  to  de- 
ceive his  own  children." 

MiN.  —  "  You  should  not  reject  the  Bible  because  of 
an  isolated  expression  like  that.  There  are  spots  on  the 
sun." 

H.  — "  Though  I  by  no  means  reject  the  Bible,  I 
assure  you  this  is  not  an  isolated  expression.  If  you 
w^ill  turn  to  1  Kings,  xxii.  19-23,  you  will  read, — 

"  '  And  he  said,  Hear  thou  tnerefbre  the  word  of  the 
Lord :  I  saw  the  Lord  sitting  on  his  throne,  and  all  the 
host  of  heaven  standino;  bv  him,  on  his  ri2;ht  hand  and 
en  his  left.  And  the  Lord  said.  Who  shall  persuade 
Ahab,  that  he  may  go  up  and  fall  at  Ramoth-gilead  ? 
And  one  said  on  this  manner,  and  another  said  on  that 
manner.     And  there  came  forth  a  spirit,  and  stood  be- 


192  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

fore  the  Lord,  and  said,  I  will  persuade  him.  And  the 
Lord  said  unto  him.  Wherewith  ?  And  he  said,  I  will 
go  forth,  and  I  will  be  a  lying  spirit  in  the  mouth  of  all 
his  prophets.  And  he  said,  Thou  shalt  persuade  him, 
and  prevail  also :  go  forth  and  do  so.  Now,  therefore, 
behold,  the  Lord  hath  put  a  lying  spirit  in  the  mouth  of 
all  these  tliy  prophets,  and  the  T^ord  hath  spoken  evil 
concernino;  thee.' 

"  Now,  there  is  a  sense  in  which  I  believe  this  para- 
graph, and  a  sense  in  Avhich  I  do  not.  If  you  ask  me 
if  I  believe  God  sent  -j.  lying  spirit,  I  answer,  No.  If  I 
believe  a  lying  spirit  operated  on  all  the  prophets,  in- 
cluding Micaiah,  I  say,  Yes.  But  God  does  not  stoop 
thus  to  conquer.  Those  disembodied  wags  who  influ- 
enced the  prophets  perhaps  thought  their  predictions 
were  correct,  and  knew  they  would  have  more  weight 
upon  ?v  self-conceited,  ign-^rant  king  if  they  professed  to 
come  from  Almighty  God.  You  will  remember,  there 
were  four  hundred  of  these,  all  bearing  testimony  the 
same  way,  except  Micaiah,  who  crossed  his  own  track. 
Now  let  me  ask.  Do  vou  believe  God  did  it  ?  Is  it  not 
more  charitable,  to  say  the  least,  to  believe  the  Bible 
w^riter  correct  as  to  fact,  and  mistaken  as  to  hj^poth- 
esis?" 

MiN.  —  "  These  proohets  were  false  prophets  :  no 
ti-ue  prophet  was  ever  led  astray  in  that  way." 

II.  — ''  There  is  no  evidence  that  these  prophets  were 
any  more  false  than  all  the  others.  Jeremiah  and 
Ezekiel  were  each  deceived  in  the  same  way.  Jeremiah 
says,  — 

"  '  O  Lord,  thou  hast  deceived  me,  and  I  was  deceived: 
thou  art  stronger  than  I,  and  hast  prevailed:  I  am  in 
derision  daily,  every  one  mocketh  me.'  —  Jer.  xx.  7. 


THE  QUESTION  SETTLED.  193 

"  Now,  I  frankly  acknowledge  I  do  not  believe  tjiat 
text ;  but  do  not  misunderstand  me.  I  grant  that 
Jeremiah  was  deceived;  yes,  deceived  by  lying  spirits  : 
but,  when  he  accuses  the  Ruler  of  the  Universe  of  de- 
ceiving him,  I  think  he  was  mistaken.  Again  I  say, 
^  Let  God  be  true,  though  it  make  every  man  a  liar.' 
As  to  Ezekiel,  though  he  was  one  of  the  best  physical 
and  clairvoyant  mediums  in  the  world,  he  never  uttered 
a  truth  in  any  of  his  predictions.  His  prophecies,  more' 
than  all  others,  were  the  cause  of  a  proverb  to  which 
he  refers  as  follows  :  — 

"  '  And  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  me,  saying, 
Son  of  man,  what  is  that  proverb  that  ye  have  in  the 
land  of  Israel,  saying.  The    days   are  prolonged,  and 
every  vision  faileth  ?     Tell  them,  therefore,  Thus  saith 
the  Lord  God :  I  will  make  this  proverb  to  cease,  and 
they  shall  no  more  use  it  as  a  proverb  in  Israel ;  but  say 
unto  them,  The  days  are  at  hand,  and  the  effect  of  every 
vision.     For  there  shall  be  no  more  any  A^ain  vision  nor 
flattering  divination  within  the  house  of  Israel.     For  I 
am  the  Lord :  I  wiU  speak,  and  the  word  that  I  shall 
speak  shall  come  to  pass ;  it  shall  be  no  more  prolonged : 
for  in  your  days,  O  rebellious  house,  will   I   say  the 
word,  and  will  perform  it,  saith  the  Lord  God.     Again 
the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  me,  saying,  Son  of  man, 
behold,  they  of  the  house  of  Israel  say.  The  vision  that 
he  seetli  is  for  many  days  to  come,  and  he  prophesietL 
of  the  times  that  are  far  off.     Therefore  say  mito  them, 
Thus  saith  the  Lord  God :  There  shall  none    of  my 
words  be  prolonged  any  more  ;  but  the  word  which  J 
have  spoken  shall  be  done,  saith  Mie  Lord  God.'  —  Ezek 
jdi.  21-28. 

13 


194  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

"  Here  the  spirit  acknowledges  tlie  truth  of  the 
proverb,  but  says  he  wJl  make  it  to  cease  ;  that  is,  there 
shall  be  no  more  any  vain  visions,  nor  any  prophecies 
which  applied  to  the  distant  future,  but  the  effect  of 
every  vision  is  at  hand.  Again  Ezekiel  accounts  for 
his  false  visions  and  prophecies  as  follows  :  — 

'' '  And  if  the  prophet  be  deceived  when  he  hath 
spoken  a  thing,  I  the  Lord  have  deceived  that  prophet ; 
and  I  will  stretch  out  my  hand  upon  him,  and  will  de- 
stroy him  from  the  midst  of  my  people  Israel.'  —  Ezek. 
xiv.  9. 

"  Once  more  I  will  confess,  I  do  not  believe  the  Lord 
deceives.  I  find  it  easier  to  believe  Ezekiel  was  a  little 
mistaken  in  supposing  that  influence  came  from  '  the 
Father  of  Lights  with  whom  there  is  no  variableness, 
neither  shadow  of  turnino;.'  " 

MiN.  —  "  Aren't  you  off  the  track  ?  We  commenced 
to  talk  about  Spiritualism,  and  you  have  gone  off  into  a 
tirade  of  abuse  of  the  Bible.  Why  do  you  not  stick  to 
the  question  ?  " 

H.  —  "I  have  not  abused  the  Bible,  only  your  inter- 
pretation of  certain  portions  of  it ;  but  I  will  hear  what 
you  have  to  say  about  Spiritualism." 

MiN.  —  "I  say,  and  can  prove,  that  Spiritualism  is 
the  delusion  spoken  of  by  Paul." 

H. —  "How  do  you  prove  it?  You  know  there 
never  has  been  a  religious  theory  which  has  dared  to 
drive  out  of  the  beaten  track,  but  that  this  text  has  been 
quoted  to  prove  it  a  delusion." 

MiN.  — "I  prove  my  point  thus  :  This  delusion  is  to 
come  up  in  the  last  days.  The  Lord's  coming  is  after 
the  working  of  Satan  with  power,  signs,  and  lying  won- 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  195 

ders.  Signs  are  so  ominous  that  there  is  no  room  left 
for  doubt.  The  coming  of  the  Lord  is  right  upon  us  ; 
but  we  look  for  the  DeviFs  work,  —  the  great  delusion,  — 
and  find  Spirituahsm,  and  that  alone,  coming  at  the  right 
time,  and  answering  the  other  specifications  of  the  proph- 
ecy. We  are,  therefore,  justified  in  the  conclusion  that 
Spiritualism  is  the  delusion." 

H.  —  "  That  would  do  if  you  could  prove  your  major 
proposition,  that  the  coming  of  the  Lord  is  near." 

MiN.  —  "  That  is  easily  proved  ;  for,  when  Spiritual- 
ism comes  up,  the  coming  of  the  Lord  follows  imme- 
diately after." 

Here  the  call  of  "  Change  cars  for  Madison !  "  ter- 
minated our  conversation.  We  wanted  to  dissect  our 
friend's  logic  for  him,  but  had  not  the  time.  The  logic 
comes  in  thus  :  — 

Proposition  No.  1.  —  "  The  Lord  is  coming." 
Conclusion  No.  1.  — ''  Therefore    Spiritualism   is   a 
delusion." 

Prop.  No.  2.  —  "  Spirituahsm  is  a  delusion." 
Con.  No.  2.  — "  Therefore  the  Lord  is  comino-." 
What  accommodating  logic  1  The  conclusion  of  the 
first  proposition  forms  a  basis  for  the  second  ;  and  that 
of  the  second  quite  as  accommodatingly  "  wheels  into 
line,"  and  forms  a  basis  for  the  first.  If  this  is  not  a 
fair  specimen  of  what  logicians  call  "  reasoning  in  a  cir- 
cle," we  acknowledge  we  never  saw  one. 

We  now  come  to  the  direct  question :  Is  Spiritualism 
a  delusion  ?  A  brief  examination  of  its  history  will 
answer  the  question.  If  the  arguments  of  the  opposers 
of  Spiritualism  be  true,  then  verily  is  "  truth  stranger 
than  fi?tion."     Its  statement  would  be  about  as  follows ; 


196  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

Twenty-one  years  ago,  two  little  girls,  members  of  a 
respectable  family,  one  of  them  ni7ie  and.  the  other  eleven 
years  old,  undertook,  without  any  motive  v/liatever,  to  de- 
lude and  deceive  the  world.  We  say  without  motive ;  for 
certainly  there  was  no  money  in  the  deception,  and  there 
could  not  possibly  have  been  any  hon'n*  gained  by  it. 
These  youths  would  have  succeeded,  had  it  not  been  that 
the  ministers,  doctors,  and  some  of  the  lawyers,  organ- 
ized a  warfare  against  them,  in  which  their  talents,  books 
and  learning  were  brought  into  such  effectual  operation 
that,  at  the  end  of  nineteen  years,  according  to  figm-es 
made  by  those  making  the  attack,  the  children  had  only 
succeeded  in  making  about  eleven  millions  of  converts  ! 

"  A  stitch  in  time  saves  nine."  Perhaps  the  reason 
of  the  success  (?)  of  the  opposition  was  their  early,  un- 
relenting;, and  untirino;  warfare.  For  the  battle  was  com- 
menced  before  a  test  was  mven.  It  is  also  an  acknowl- 
edged  axiom,  that  "  in  union  there  is  strength."  The 
opposition  was  certainly  united  in  one  position,  if  no 
more  ;  that  is,  Spiritualism  must  be  put  down  at  what- 
ever cost.  They  paid  the  cost,  "  'quitted  themselves 
like  men,"  sacrificed  all,  in  many  cases  not  excepting 
their  honor ;  but  Spiritualism  proved  to  be  a  "  Banquo's 
shost :  "  it  would  not  "  down." 

Before  any  intelligence  had  been  derived  from  the 
mysterious  noises,  we  remember  to  have  heard  it  sug- 
gested that  It  was  the  Devil.  Indeed,  that  charge  was  so 
common,  that,  long  before  they  learned  there  was  any 
intelligence  connected  with  it,  the  little  girls  used  to  ad- 
dress it  as  "  Old  Split-foot."  By  an  accident  it  was  as- 
certained that  this  power  was  intelligeut,  could  answer 
questions,  and  give  other  signs  of  knowing  what  was  said 
to  it. 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  197 

As  soon  as  a  communication  was  received  containincr 

o 

an  undeniable  test,  committees  were  appointed  to  inves- 
tigate and  put  it  down.  The  first  committee  very  readily 
and  learnedly  came  to  two  conclusions  :  The  first  was, 
Spiritualism  is  a  delusion.  The  second  related  to  the 
modus  operandi  of  that  deception.  The  world  was  in- 
formed that  the  facts  were  simply  these  :  The  little  girls, 
in  going  to  school,  got  their  toes  frozen.  When  that  was 
ascertained,  the  mother  wet  some  linen  in  turpentine, 
and  wrapped  the  toes  in  it :  there  was  a  connection  be- 
tween the  toe-joint,  the  linen,  and  the  turpentine,  that 
produced  the  concussions.  This  expose  of  the  delusion 
did  not  last  very  long.  The  opposers  had  too  many  toes, 
and  there  was  too  much  turpentine  and  linen  among 
them.  With  all  these  implements  for  producing  mani- 
festations, they  failed  to  produce  one  single  rap. 

This  made  it  necessary  to  appoint  another  committee  ; 
and  here,  permit  us  to  say,  there  is  a  w^orld  of  meaning 
in  the  appointment  of  this  and  other  committees.  It 
means,  first,  there  are  phenomena  there  which  demand 
investigation  ;  second,  other  committees,  learned  men 
as  they  were,  failed  to  give  us  a  proper  solution  of  these 
manifestations. 

Other  committees  soon  came  to  several  conclusions  : 
the  first  always  was,  that  Spiritualism  was  a  delusion  ; 
and  the  second  generally  was,  that  all  previous  commit- 
tees were  deluded.  The  knee-joint  theory,  machinery 
theory,  and  all  other  systems  of  opposition  to  Spiritual- 
ism, had  their  day.  Spiritualism  lived  to  bury  them 
all.  "  There  is  machinery  in  the  table,"  was  the  cry 
raised  by  Prof.  Matteson,  and  hundreds  of  others  who 
would  have  been  professors,  but  lacked  the  ability  to 


198  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED 

cu|)(j  wltli  this  learned  blackguard.  Many  attended 
circles  on  purpose  to  detect  the  machinery,  when,  lo ! 
the  raps  were  heard  not  only  on  the  tables,  but  on 
chairs,  stoves,  stove-pipes,  the  walls  of  the  house,  the 
floor,  the  ceiling,  and  even  sometimes  on  the  hands, 
fecit,  heads,  and  teeth  of  sitters.  Thus  the  warfare  went 
on  ;  the  world  exjjosijig  its  folly  in  attempting  to  expose 
Si)iritualism,  and  the  angel-world  daily  handing  out 
new  demonstrations  of  power. 

There  is  a  proverb,  that  "  the  gods  first  make  mad 
those  whom  they  would  destroy."  In  this  case,  it  is 
literally  true  ;  for  there  has  never  yet  been  an  arojument 
adduced  against  Spiritualism,  but  that  weighs  with  ;iiJ 
of  Its  force  against  the  religion,  science,  or  profession 
of  the  one  making  the  argument.  The  mocking  priests 
demanded  that  Jesus  should  come  down  from  the  cross, 
and  they  would  believe ;  but  he  could  not  come  down 
to  satisfy  a  scoffing  mob  :  so  priests  now,  often  with  as 
much  audacity  and  little  sense,  throw  themselves  back 
on  their  dignity,  and  demand  the  production  of  mani- 
festations impossible  under  the  circumstances.  One  of 
these  s})ecimens  of  the  genus  liomo^  in  a  discussion  with 
us,  positively  forbade  the  introduction  of  human  testi- 
mony. Human  beings  were  liable  to  be  deceived,  and 
some  would  lie ;  so  he  would  not  take  even  sivorn  testi- 
mony that  tables  liad  been  seen  to  move,  concussions 
heard,  and  pencils  seen  to  write  without  any  visible 
agency.  Nothing  would  do  but  the  production  of  such 
phenomena  in  that  audience,  at  that  time.  Our  reply 
was,  that  certain  conditions  were  necessary,  which  could 
not  obtain  in  a  promiscuous  assembly ;  that  any  person 
proposing  to  do  any  thing  had  a  right  to  state  the  con- 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  199 

ditioiis  upon  wliicli  lie  could  do  the  thing,  and  no  one 
had  aright  to  demand  the  production  of  the  phenomena 
until  all  the  conditions  had  been  obeyed.  "  If  it  can 
be  done  anywhere,  it  can  be  done  here,"  was  his  reply  ; 
"  and  now  is  the  time.  We  do  not  care  what  has  been 
done  elsewhere:  produce  your  manifestations  here,  and 
we  will  believe." 

To  illustrate  the  absurdity  of  his  position,  suppose 
sleep  to  be  the  phenomenon  in  question.  A  hundred 
witnesses  swearing  that  they  had  slept,  and  seen  others 
sleep,  would  not  convince  him  :  he  would  demand  of  the 
one  w^ho  affirmed  that  one-third  of  every  healthy  per- 
son's time  is  spent  in  sleep,  that  he  should  lie  down  on 
the  rostrum,  and  go  to  sleep  in  the  presence  of  the  audi- 
ence to  convince  him.  Is  there  one  wdio  reads  this 
book  who  could  do  it  ?  We  think  not.  The  conditions 
of  sleep  do  not  obtain  under  such  circumstances.  The 
fiict  of  trying  to  go  to  sleep  as  a  test  would  keep  one 
awake  if  he  had  not  slept  in  six  months.  The  light  in 
the  room,  the  magnetism  of  the  audience,  and  all  t)ther 
conditions,  would  go  to  prevent  sleep.  Any  one  can 
sleep  better  in  the  dark  than  in  well-lighted  apart- 
ments. Now,  if  the  opposers  will  learn  that  conditions 
for  good  spirit-manifestations  are  required  to  be  quite 
as  negative  as  for  sleep,  they  will  cease  to  exhibit  so 
much  folly  in  their  opposition.  There  is  not  an  opposer 
of  Spiritualism  in  tlie  w^orld  to-day,  who  does  not  re- 
quire conditions  for  certain  manifestations  in  his  daily 
business  that  he  obstinately  refuses  to  give  to  the  spirit- 
w^orld. 

The  following  incident  faithfully  illustrates  the   ab- 
surd position  taken  by  a  majority  of   opposers.     We 


200  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

were  invited  by  a  friend,  a  photographist,  to  go  to  his 
gallery,  and  sit  for  a  picture.  We  had  liardly  entered 
the  room,  wlien  our  friend,  in  a  good-natured  way, 
commenced  a  tirade  against  Spiritualism.  A  dark  cir- 
cle he  would  not  sit  in  under  any  circumstances ;  and, 
as  to  other  conditions,  they  were  only  an  excuse  behind 
wln'ch  to  hide  fraud,  deception,  and  falsehood.  "  In 
fact,"  said  he,  "  I  get  mad  every  time  I  hear  the  word 
'conditions.'  "  —  "And  yet,"  said  I,  "you  require  con- 
ditions every  time  you  take  a  photograph.  I  can  take 
a  better  likeness  with  my  printing-press  than  you  can 
with  your  camera^  if  you  wdll  permit  me  first  to  destroy 
your  conditions.  You  first  require  the  subject  to  sit 
passive  and  quiet.  He  must  be  willing  you  should  take 
a  picture  ;  your  camera  must  be  properly  adjusted ;  you 
require  just  such  an  amount  of  light ;  and  it  must  come 
from  the  right  direction.  Then,  by  having  your  chem- 
icals prepared  with  mathematical  precision,  and  your 
plates  just  right,  you  can  do  part  of  your  work  ;  yet  you 
are  compelled  to  go  into  the  dark' before  you  can  de- 
velop a  picture. 

"  Now  understand  one  thing :  the  chemicals  spirits  use 
in  coming  in  communion  with  earth  are  as  much  finer 
than  those  used  by  yourself  as  heaven  is  higher  than 
eartli.  You,  who  require  such  implicit  yielding  to  such 
subtile  conditions,  are  the  last  one  who  sliould  fall  out 
with  that  word,  or  object  to  the  idea  it  contains.  Now, 
you  ask  mediums  to  go  into  a  hall,  and  on  the  rostrum 
produce  certain  kinds  of  spirit-manifestation :  they  will 
do  it  when  you  go  to  the  same  hall,  on  to  the  same  ros- 
trum, and,  under  the  same  circumstances,  produce  genu 
inc  and  good  photographic  likenesses." 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  201 

llius  it  is  :  the  man  could  not  see  until  shown  bj? 
this  illustration  that  his  argument  weiglied  quite  as 
hea\'ily  against  his  own  occupation  as  against  Spirit- 
ualism. 

The  man  who  enters  the  telegraph-office,  tears  the 
batteries  from  it,  cuts  the  wires,  and  then  demands  from 
the  operator  communications  from  distant  cities,  is  quite 
as  sensible  as  those,  who,  after  destroying  all  the  condi- 
tions of  spirit-manifestation,  tauntingly  demand  spiritual 
phenomena.  How  much  better  to  humbly  sit  in  the 
quiet,  and  receive  influxes  from  "  over  the  river  "  ! 

We  repeat,  the  Bible  itself  can  not  stand  under  the 
argument  which  kills  Spiritualism.  The  whole  Bible, 
with  its  stories  a  hundred  times  as  large  as  any  told  by 
Spiritualists,  is  received  on  human  hearsay  testimony ; 
and  yet  living  luitnesses,  who  can  be  questioned  and 
cross-questioned,  are  disbelieved. 

We  were  once,  at  a  dinner-party,  introduced  to  a 
deacon.  Soon  the  conversation  turned  upon  Spiritual- 
ism. Having  just  read  the  debate  between  Prof.  Leo 
Miller  and  Prof.  J.  Stanley  Grimes,  we  decided  to 
borrow  one  of  Mr.  Miller's  bomb-shells.  After  relating 
several  incidents  known  to  persons  present,  all  of  which 
were  stanchly  denied  by  the  deacon,  —  for  he  felt  that 
the  life  of  his  religion  hung  upon  his  zeal  in  disputing 
every  thing  he  himself  had  not  witnessed,  —  at  length 
we  addressed  ourself  to  Bro.  R.  (who  was  sitting  by 
our  side),  as  though  Ave  wanted  no  one  else  to  hear,  yet 
determined  that  all  at  the  table  should  hear.  ''  I  read 
the  history  of  a  very  strange  manifestation  this  morning, 
which,  if  it  proves  true,  ought  to  set  men  to  thinking," 
said  we.     "  Ah  !  what  is  it  ?  "  said  R.    "  It  happened  in 


202  THE  QUESTION   SETTLED. 

the  old  country,"  we  replied.  "  A  man  was  sick,  and 
sent  for  a  healing  medium.  Though  he  was  not  very  sick, 
he  thought  he  was  going  to  die ;  and  so  the  medium 
thought  at  first.  Soon,  hoAvever,  he  obtained  a  commu- 
nication, stating  that  he  would  recover ;  whereupon  the 
man  demanded  a  sign.  Well,  said  the  medium,  as  an 
evidence  that  you  shall  get  well,  logs  of  wood,  stones,  and 
Jieaps  of  earth,  shall  move  without  any  visible  agency. 
And  the  document  adds  that  these  things  did  move,  — 
that  stones,  and  heaps  of  earth,  of  many  tons'  burthen, 
moved,  to  all  appearance,  of  their  own  accord ;  and  the 
man  got  well."  We  had  hardly  got  through  with  our 
story,  when  our  deacon  asked,  "  Where  did  you  say  that 
happened  ?  "  —  "  In  the  old  country,"  we  responded.  "  I 
Avould  like  to  see  the  papers  for  that,"  ejaculated  the 
deacon :  "  I  know  it  never  occurred.  If  such  thino-s 
can  be  done  anywhere,  why  not  here  ?  why  locate  them 
so  far  from  home  ?  No  one  but  an  insane  person  could 
swallow  such  a  story." 

We  permitted  him  to  blow  until  his  ammunition  was 
spent,  and  then  coolly  responded,  "  Deacon,  if  you  will 
turn  to  2  Kings  xx.,  you  will  find  the  story.  Hezekiah 
was  the  sick  man  ;  Isaiah  was  the  medium  ;  and  the  whole 
earth  moved  backward  ten  degrees  to  convince  a  man 
that  a  boil  would  not  kill  him.  Now  do  you  believe 
the  story?"  His  only  response  was,  "It  is  unfair  to 
catch  a  man  on  a  pin-hook."  It  may  be  unfair ;  but 
we  have  to  do  just  such  work  occasionally.  It  serves 
to  illustrate  the  admixture  of  credulity  and  incredulity 
in  the  religions  of  the  day. 

We  now  affirm,  that,  if  modern  Spiritualism  is  a  delu- 
sion, it  is  a  giant   delusion.      Not  only  has  it  utterly 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  203 

baffled  the  skill  of  opposers,  whose  cry  has  been,  "  Away 
with  it !  "  *■'  Let  it  be  crucified !  "  but  who  can  take  a  retro- 
spective view  of  its  Avork  without  an  inexpressible  degi-ee 
of  surprise  ?  Twenty-two  years  ago,  it  was  nothing, — 
not  a  book  except  the  Bible  written  in  its  behalf,  and 
that  was  regarded  more  as  a  dead  letter  than  any  thing 
else ;  not  a  press  to  advocate  its  claims ;  not  a  lectui'er 
in  the  field ;  not  a  medium  in  the  country ;  not  a  be- 
liever in  the  world.  At  that  time  one  fiomre,  and 
that  a  cipher,  told  all  there  was  of  Spiritualism.  Not 
a  quarter  of  a  century  since,  it  commenced  amid  the 
most  determined  opposition,  has  vvaded  through  it,  and 
marched  steadily  on,  until  now  its  mediums  are  counted 
by  thousands,  and  it  would  require  a  column  and  a 
lialf  of  "  The  New-York  Ledger,"  set  in  agate  type, 
to  hold  the  names  and  post-office  addresses  of  its  public 
lecturers.  Its  weekly  and  monthly  periodicals,  scattered 
like  autumn  leaves,  are  read  with  more  enthusiasm  and 
deHo;ht  than  ever  before.  New  volumes  are  continually 
being  issued  from  its  presses  ;  its  literature  is  being  writ- 
ten and  translated  into  foreio-n  lang-uao-es  ;  and  thus  it 
spreads  with  a  rapidity  unequaled  by  any  religion  ever 
known  before. 

Now,  considering  the  machinery  already  in  running 
order  for  spreading  Spiritualism,  —  its  local,  county, 
state,  and  national  associations;  the  mediums  and  talent 
already  in  its  ranks  ;  and  the  number  of  living  witnesses 
there  are  to  its  truths,  —  where  will  it  be  on  the  day  of  its 
fiftieth  anniversary?  Whei'e  wont  it  be?  Another 
question  :  Where  will  its  opposers  be  at  that  time  ? 
They  will  be  where  Pharaoh's  "  fat  kine  "  were,  after 
coming  in  contact  with  "  the  seven  lean  kine." 


204  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

Modern  Spiritualism,  though  born  in  a  manger  not 
twenty-five  years  since,  is  now  the  on]y  2)ositlve  rehgion 
in  the  world.  All  other  religious  theories  live  upon  their 
negative  elements.  Ask  almost  any  member  of  a  popu- 
lar church  why  he  belongs  where  he  does ;  and,  if  you 
get  a  true  answer,  it  will  be  about  as  follows :  "  Oh !  I 
must  have  somewhere  to  go :  I  have  nothing  to  do,  and 
there  is  no  other  place  of  amusement  for  me  to  attend 
on  Sunday ;  and  so  I  go  to  church.  Why  should  I  not  ? 
My  father  and  mother  always  did  the  same  thing  ;  my 
friends  and  associates  go  there  ;  we  have  good  music,  and 
a  smart  preacher,  who  preaches  smooth  things  to  fashion- 
able ears :  in  fiict,  the  current  sets  that  way,  and  I  drift 
with  it."  Another  goes  to  be  in  fashion;  another  to 
exhibit  fine  clothing ;  another  to  get  the  custom  of  some 
one  who  attends  ;  another  to  see  how  church-people  dress, 
hear  who  is  married,  who  is  dead ;  and  so  forth,  to  the 
end  of  the  chapter. 

Ask  again,  "  What  were  you  before  you  were  a  Meth- 
odist, Baptist,  or  Presbyterian  ?  "  and  you  Avill  probably 
be  answered,  "  Why,  I  wasn't  any  thing :  I  never  be- 
longed to  any  other  church  or  party."  If  you  find  one 
of  a  thousand  who  has  left  one  religious  church,  and 
joined  another,  he  has,  as  a  general  thing,  done  it  with- 
out any  change  of  faith  or  opinion.  Some  local  disturb- 
ance or  jealousy  has  been  the  cause  of  the  change.  Not 
more  than  half  of  those  who  belong  to  the  church  to-day 
know  what  the  peculiar  tenets  of  their  church  are  ;  and 
six  out  of  eio-ht  who  do  can  not  give  a  rational  reason 
for  their  belief. 

Now.  go  out  among  the  Spiritualists,  whose  millions 
of  converts  have  come  from  atheists,  infidels,  and  everi/ 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  205 

church  in  Christendom^  and  ask  anyone  of  them  why  he 
or  slic  is  a  S})irituahst,  and  yon  will  be  pointed  to  some 
pecuhar  test,  or  some  beautiful  clause  of  our  philosophy 
which  arrested  their  attention,  led  them  to  a  further 
investigation,  and  finally /orcec?  them  out  of  their  church. 
One  said  to  us,  ''  When  my  spirit-mother  came  and 
talked  with  me,  and  when  I  had  learned  that  my  wife, 
whom  I  regarded  as  dead,  was  still  alive,  my  religion,  my 
church,  my  friends,  my  popularity,  and  my  prejudices 
were  not  all  strong;  enough  to  hold  me." 

When  Rev.  A.  J.  Frishback  turned  his  back  on  his 
church  and  salary,  to  preach  these  heaven-born  truths, 
lie  was  asked  why  he  did  it  ?  His  reply  was,  "  I  have 
seen  the  angels."  Glorious  privilege  !  Is  it  not  enough 
to  requite  all  our  toil  ? 

Ministers  have  left  larg;e  cong;reg;ations  and  fat  salaries 
to  become  fellow-servants  with  angels.  Lawyers  have 
renounced  their  profession  for  the  sake  of  these  heaven- 
born  truths.  Husbands  have  been  compelled  to  leave 
their  wives,  and  wives  their  husbands,  children  have 
been  turned  away  from  their  own  homes,  and  parents 
forsaken  in  thefr  old  age,  for  their  communion  with  those 
on  the  other  side.  Students,  filled  with  all  the  ardor 
and  vigor  of  youth,  with  the  most  flattering  prospects 
ahead  of  them,  have  been  driven  from  their  colleges  in 
dis<Trace.  because  of  their  alleoiance  to  these  nio-her 
powers. 

Thus  Spiritualism  proves  itself  a  positive  philosophy, 
enabling  those  who  embrace  it  to  forsake  all,  and  stem 
the  flood  of  opposition,  for  its  truths.  The  author  of 
these  pages  is  personally  acquainted  with  two  ladies,  one 
of  them  the  wife  of  a  Presbyterian  minister,  who  were 


206  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

by  their  husbands  driven  to  the  alternative  of  renoun- 
cinor  their  S])iritiialism  or  o;oino:  to  the  lunatic  asvlum. 

O  1  OCT  u 

They  both,  though  more  sane  than  their  husbands  and 
church-going  neighbors,  chose  the  latter,  preferring  a 
life  of  imprisonment  among  the  insane,  rather  than  one 
of  ease  and  luxury  based  on  their  Avant  of  fidelity  to 
their  risen  friends  and  the  God  who  spake  in  their  own 
souls. 

The  flames  of  slander,  calumny,  and  persecution 
through  which  we  have  passed  in  consequence  of  our 
having  turned  from  a  former  belief,  the  poverty  we  have 
endured  because  of  our  allemance  to  our  friends  on  the 
other  side,  could  not  have  been  borne,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  living  evidence  which  almost  hourly  came  to  us, 
of  the  truth  and  divinity  of  our  cause.  That,  together 
with  the  angelic  forces  backing  us  up,  would  enable  us 
to  "  run  through  a  troop  or  leap  over  a  wall." 

"  A  scrip  on  my  back, 

And  a  staff  in  my  liand, 
I  march  on  in  haste 

Through  an  enemy's  land : 
The  road  may  be  rough, 

But  it  can  not  be  long ; 
I'll  smooth  it  with  hope 

And  I'll  cheer  it  with  song." 

A  word  on  the  quality  of  the  converts  to  Spiritualism 
might  not  be  amiss,  although  the  argument  drawn  from 
quantity  or  quality  is  not  relied  upon  to  prove  it  true. 
The  evidence  of  its  truth  to  us  is  the  same  whether 
there  were  another  believer  in  the  world  or  not.  Nor 
does  our  faith  hang  on  the  intelligence  of  those  who 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  207 

believe,  but  upon  a  combination  of  biblical  and  modern 
facts  with  a  philosophy  which  adapts  itself  to  the  wants 
of  the  human  soul:  so  with  every  Spiritualist.  The 
number  and  intelhgence  of  those  slain  by  its  power  onlv 
proves  to  us  that  facts  which  we  perceive  are  univer- 
sally adapting  themselves  to  the  intelligent  everywhere. 

The  myriads  who  have  flocked  around  the  standard 
of  Spiritualism  have,  in  many  instances,  been  men  and 
women  of  giant  intellect.  It  will  not  be  disputed  that 
Robert  Hare,  Robert  Owen,  Hon.  Robert  Dale  Owen, 
Hon.  Joshua  R.  Giddings,  Hon.  N.  P.  Talmadge,  Hon. 
J.  W.  Edmonds,  Hon.  B.  F.  Wade,  and  Wm.  Lloyd 
Garrison,  are  men  of  brains.  Thev  are  amono*  those 
slain  by  its  power. 

Robert  Hare,  Robert  Owen,  and  Robert  Dale  Owen, 
were  thoroughly  posted  with  regard  to  all  the  theologies 
as  well  as  the  literature  of  the  age.  They  were  known 
the  world  over  to  be  stanch  and  rigid  atheists.  They 
had  witli stood  the  batteries  of  all  the  pulpits  in  the  land  ; 
and  bundles  upon  bundles  of  quills  were  used  up  in  try- 
ing to  write  their  atheism  down  :  but  all  to  no  purpose. 
Robert  Owen  had  put  to  flight  all  the  ministers  in  the 
land  ;  but  he,  as  well  as  his  son,  and  Prof.  Hare  of  the 
Smithsonian  Institute,  was  at  last  compelled  to  yield 
to  spirit-voices.  Two  of  these  sires  are  traveling  on  in 
the  sunshine  of  the  spirit-world,  while  the  other  is  fill- 
ing places  of  trust  in  our  own  government,  and  writing 
and  lecturing  on  Spiritualism. 

N.  P.  Talmadge  and  Joshua  R.  Giddings  have  also 
left  the  Indian  summer  of  this  life,  and  gone  to  help  form 
a  Wttery  in  the  brighter  summer-land,  AVhile  these 
"  noble    dead  "    are    thus    employed,  Judge   Edmonds 


208  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

is  writing   alternately   on    Spiritualism   and    Jurispru- 
dence. 

Were  we  to  leave  this  country,  and  go  to  the  Old 
World,  we  should  find  the  Queen  of  England  always  hav- 
ing a  place  fixed  at  the  table  for  her  departed  consort. 
She  has  not  a  doubt  that  he  occupies  the  "  vacant  chair  " 
which  she  causes  to  be  provided  for  him.  On  the  au- 
thority of  "  The  New- York  Sun,"  we  can  state  that  the 
Empress  Eugenie  attends  circles  every  day ;  while  it  is 
well  known  that  Louis  Napoleon  is  a  Spiritualist,  even 
in  person  attending  the  circles  held  by  the  brothers 
Davenport,  and  gi^'ing  them  fine  presents  as  tokens  of 
his  appreciation  of  the  powers  manifesting  through  them. 
Thus  Spiritualism  proves  itself  adapted  alike  to  the  king 
on  his  throne  and  the  beoi;2!;ar  in  his  hovel. 

Still  another  argument  on  the  power  of  Spiritualism 
might  be  based  upon  the  fact  of  its  opposers,  one  after 
another,  laying  down  the  weapons  of  warfare,  and  final- 
ly, many  of  them,  taking  up  their  line  of  march  with 
it.  The  weaker  and  less  strategetic  power  in  every 
battle  must  yield  to  the  strono-er.  The  test  of  streno;th 
in  the  powers  engaged  in  tliis  warfare  can  be  told  in 
the  fact  that  there  arc  few  able  advocates  of  Spiritual- 
ism to-day,  who  did  not  graduate  in  the  field  of  opposi- 
tion. Pi"of.  Leo  Miller  used  all  his  talents  and  educa- 
tion, and  spent  several  of  the  last  years  of  his  life,  in 
assailing  Spiritualism.  E.  V.  Wilson  was  told  by  spirits 
who  appeared  to  him  as  Jesus  did  to  Paul,  that  he  must 
ground  tlie  weapons  of  his  rebellion.  Dr.  P.  B.  Ran- 
dolph got  tired  of  the  warfare,  and  concluded  he  would 
sail  with  the  popular  current.  He  tried  to  write  and 
preach  Spiritualism  into  its  grave;  but  ''found  it  hard 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  209 

to  kick  against  the  pricks."  His  efforts  recoiled  on  his 
own  head  ;  he  was  compelled  to  return  to  the  religion  he 
so  grossly  slandered.  Dr.  J.  B.  Dodd  wrote  a  book 
against  Spiritualism  ;  but  the  printer's  ink  had  scarcely 
dried  on  it,  when  he  had  renounced  it,  and  declared 
himself  a  Spiritualist.  We  ourself  went  into  a  twelve- 
years'  crusade  against  Spiritualism  (those  who  read  our 
writings,  and  listened  to  our  sermons  and  debates,  can 
judge  with  what  amount  of  ability)  ;  but,  like  others, 
we  w^ere  compelled  to  surrender.  D.  W.  Hull,  our 
brother  "  after  the  flesh,"  after  spending  six  years  in 
preparation  to  whip  our  Spiritualism  out  of  us,  whipped 
himself  into  it,  and  has  become  an  eyesore  to  all  op- 
posers.  Thus  it  is :  tlie  "  Sauls  of  Tarsus  "  are  permitted 
to  carry  the  Avarfare  just  so  far,  when,  lo !  they  find 
themselves  smitten  with  blindness  from  the  spirit-world. 

With  all  these  facts  staring  us  in  the  face,  who  can 
doubt  that  Spiritualism,  whether  true  or  false,  is  a  giant 
well  worthy  the  steel  of  Orthodox  ministers  and  Har- 
vard professors  ?  No  position,  no  learning,  no  rehgion, 
no  power,  has  been  a  match  for  it.  It  has  gone  on 
from  conquering  to  conquest.  As  we  view  its  onward 
march,  we  are  reminded  of  the  language  of  Gamaliel 
of  old  to  the  opposers  of  ancient  Spirituahsm,  — 

"•  And  noAV  I  say  unto  you.  Refrain  from  these  men, 
and  let  them  alone  :  for,  if  this  counsel  or  this  work  be 
of  men,  it  will  come  to  nought ;  but  if  it  be  of  God,  ye 
can  not  overthrow  it,  lest,  haply,  ye  be  found  even  to 
fis'ht  against  God."  —  Acts  v.  38,  39. 

Spirituahsm  has  indeed,  if  this  test  be  taken,  proved 
itself  of  God. 

Though  Spiritualism  is  a  giant,  it  is  not  a  huge,  un- 
u 


210  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

comely  monster  to  be  dreaded.  If  a  delusion  at  all,  it 
is  a  charming  delusion.  On  this  division  of  the  subject, 
it  is  needless  to  remark  at  length,  as  our  first  chapter  is 
a  sufficient  elucidation  of  this  department  of  the  sub- 
ject. We  would  only  ask.  Who  would  not  enjoy  the 
consolation  of  knowing  that  his  friends  whom  the 
world  calls  dead  still  live  ?  Where  is  the  devoted  wife 
who  would  not  enjoy  social  intercourse  with  the  com- 
panion recently  departed  from  her  embrace  ?  Spiritual- 
ism has  opened  the  eyes  of  many  thousands  to  see  the 
beyond  ;  and  myriads  who  once  groped  in  darkness 
are  now  receiving  messages  of  love  and  wisdom  from 
the  auffel  world.  Is  that  delusion  ?  Then  let  us  live 
and  die  charmed  with  just  such  delusion ! 

In  a  Western  city  was  a  railroad-station  agent,  who 
was  known,  wherever  known  at  all,  as  a  Spiritualist. 
Persons  of  all  grades  of  belief  tried  to  persuade  him  to 
renounce  his  allegiance  to  his  spirit-friends.  They  dis- 
played before  his  view,  in  glowing  colors,  the  transitory 
glories  of  earth,  which  he  might  enjoy  if  he  would  only 
say  nothing  of  his  offensive  Spiritualism;  but  all  to  no 
purpose.  He  was  finally  told  by  a  minister  who  could 
not  resist  the  power  of  his  honest  logic,  that  such  doc- 
trine did  very  well  to  live  by,  but  would  not  sustain  a 
soul  in  the  moment  of  dissolution.  "  If,"  said  the  rev- 
erend, "  I  could  be  present  at  your  death-bed,  I  would 
see  you  wring  your  hands,  and  cry  for  mercy ;  then  you 
would  call  for  the  consolations  of  the  religion  you  now 
spurn  for  the  effervescent  bauble  of  Spiritualism." 

Said  the  brother,  "  If  you  are  in  the  city  when  I  am 
called  to  exchange  worlds,  you  shall  see  whether  your 
words  are  true." 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.     '  211 

In  a  few  days  from  that  time,  upon  a  cold  and  icy 
morning,  when  couphng  the  cars  together,  his  feet 
shpped,  and  the  cars  passed  over  his  thighs,  severing  his 
hmbs  from  his  body.  When,  in  a  few  moments,  he  was 
informed  that  his  earthly  career  was  drawing  to  a  close, 
and  if  he  liad  any  thing  to  say,  now  was  his  last  chance, 
after  appointing  one  to  attend  to  his  business,  he  sent 
for  his  friends  who  had  urged  him  to  renounce  his 
acquaintance  with  the  angels.  When  they  were  all 
assembled,  he  spoke  to  the  minister  substantially  as  fol- 
lows :  — 

"You  exj)ressed  a  desire  to  see  a  Spiritualist  die. 
My  time  has  come  :  now  you  shall  be  gratified.  I  have 
believed  Spiritualism,  and  rejoiced  for  the  past  ten  years 
in  its  consolations.  Now  I  know,  as  I  never  did  before, 
that  it  is  true.  As  the  flesh  grows  weaker,  the  spirit 
gaius  strength.  I  see  the  angels^  I  hear  them  sing : 
they  are  ivaiting  for  me." 

After  a  moment's  pause,  he  continued,  — 

"  Some  of  my  family  belong  to  your  cluu'ch,  and  will 
want  you  to  deliver  my  faneral-addi'ess.  Will  you 
promise  to  tell  the  audience  that  I  was  a  Spiritualist, 
and  died  such  ;  that  Spiritualism  afforded  a  consolation 
which  sustained  me  in  a  dying  hour  ?  " 

The  minister  promised,  and  kept  his  word.  After 
the  dying  man  obtained  this  promise,  he  seemed  per- 
fectly resigned.  He  talked  of  his  hope  while  strength 
lasted.  Finally,  after  lying  motionless  and  speechless, 
with  his  eyes  closed  a  few  moments,  he  opened  them, 
and  gazed  on  his  friends  for  a  brief  period.  His  eyes 
sparkHng  all  the  while  with  an  unearthly  luster,  he  said, 
"  They  are  calling ;  I  must  go.     Good-by  !  "    And  in  a 


212  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

niouK'nt  liis  spirit  was  borne  Into  the  country  where 
disputes  on  such  questions  are  s.ettled. 

Is  this  delusion  ?  Then  let  us  live  and  die  deluded ! 
If  it  is  a  delusion  which  has  made  us  happier  and  better 
for  the  last  six  years  of  our  life  ;  if  a  delusion  has  sus- 
tained us  amid  trials  and  troubles,  and  enabled  us  each 
day  to  say,  "'  Though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil,"  —  then,  welcome, 
delusion  !  May  thy  cords  be  lengthened,  and  thy  stakes 
strengthened,  until  thy  banners  wave  over  the  ruins  of 
error  and  superstition,  and  every  heart  is  made  glad 
with  a  knowledge  of  angelic  communion  ! 

"  Whispers  of  Eden  given 
Greet  mine  ear, 
As  if  nearer  bringing  heaven,  — 

Still  more  near ; 
Calling  upward,  sweetly  calling 

To  the  sky, 
Wait,  my  weary  soul  to  welcome 
By  and  by. 
Oh  !  how  my  longing  soul  will  spring 
To  rise  and  join  them  on  the  wing." 

Now,  we  affirm  that  Spiritualism  is  not  a  delusion. 
On  this,  as  on  the  last  division  of  this  subject,  we  will 
do  but  little  more  than  to  refer  our  readers  to  the  fore- 
going pages  of  this  volume.  If  the  evidences  already 
presented  can  be  avoided,  any  amount  of  just  such  evi- 
dence is  worthless. 

If  Samuel,  Moses,  Elijah,  Jesus,  and  others  returned 
in  the  ages  gone,  then  they  proved  that  the  dead  can 
return.  If  our  friends  who  loved  and  visited  us  while 
in  the  flesh  love  us  still,  they  will  come  to  us  with  bless- 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.        .  213 

ings.  If  the  history  of  the  one  and  twenty  years  last 
past  is  correct,  they  have,  they  do  come. 

We  liave  received  so  many  tests,  in  so  many  ways, 
under  so  many  varying  circumstances,  —  many  of  which 
preclude  tlie  possibiHtv  of  deception,  —  that  we  can  not 
doubt. 

We  know  a  little  girl  not  yet  four  years  old,  who 
occasionally  has  the  name  of  a  departed  friend  come  in 
raised  letters  on  her  arm.  She  is  not  old  enough  to 
think  of  deceiving,  much  less  is  she  capable  of  decipher- 
ino-  tlie  names  of  friends,  or  of  w^ritino;  them  if  she  knew 
them.  Such  evidences  are  unmistakable  proofs  of  a 
supermundane  power. 


CHAPTER   Vm. 

OBJECTIONS       ANSWERED. 


Objections  usually  the  Result  of  Ignorance  — A  British  Lord  and  the  Steamboat 

—  Objections  to  the  Telegraph  — Objections  to  Abolitionism  —  God  legislat- 
ed against  Spiritualism— Necromancy;  Definition  of— The  Objection  proves 
Spiritualism  — Hebrews  inclined  to  apply  to  the  Dead  for  Knowledge  — Law 
indorsed  Spiritualism  — This  Law  abolished  — Other  Precepts  of  this  Law 
not  binding  — Jesus  violated  this  Law  — Paul  and  John  violated,  and  hence 
duserve  Death  — The  Law  good  in  its  Place,  and  for  its  Time  — Men  inclined 
to  worship  Spirits  which  communicated —  The  Jewish  Jehovah  not  an  Infi- 
nite God  — He  incited  the  Jews  to  Crime  —  Jehovah  jealous  of  other  Spirits 

—  God  goes  to  Babel  to  find  out  concerning  a  Report  —  Moses  a  better  Man 
than  his  God— Heathen  Gods  once  Men  upon  Earth  —  Spirits  should  be 
Helps,  not  Masters  —Jews  worshiped  Spirits;  Abraham,  Lot,  Joshua,  Peter, 
John  — Law  against  Spiritualism  had  evil  Results  —  Materialism  the  Results 
of  that  Law  — Elihu  a  Clairvoyant  Medium  — Men  not  Clay  —  "  Old  Paths" 

—  Contradictory  Objections  —  Consistency  a  rare  Jewel  —  All  Things  Avere 
once  new  —  Protestantism  once  new  —  Catholic  Argument  against  Protestant- 
ism—All  Religions  have  run  the  same  Gantlet  —  "Fanatical  Methodists"  — 
Novelty  not  against  Truth  — Men  in  this  World  are  learning;  may  not  others 
progress  — Spiritualism. not  new  —  Martin  Luther  and  the  Spirits — Wesley 
and  the  Spirits— They  are  Devils  — An  old  Charge  — John  the  Baptistand  Je- 
sus had  a  Devil  —Every  Reform  was  instigated  by  the  Devil  — Devil  left  the 
Church  — Devil  is  Synonymous  with  Hatred  of  Pi'ogress  —  The  Telescope, 
Fanning-Mill,  Printing- Press,  and  Vaccination,  all  of  the  Devil  — Devil  discov- 
ered the  Cii'culation  of  the  Blood  — Devil  and  M^ichaelServetus- Martyrdom 
of  Servetus  —  The  Devil  and  Vaccination  —  The  Devil  figuring  as  an  Abolition- 
ist, Geologist,  &c.  —  Has  God  sent  a  Scorpion  for  a  Fish  — "What  a  God  —  The 
Existence  of  a  Devil  can  not  be  reconciled  with  that  of  a  good  God  —  The 
Devil  always  proves  himself  right  — Author  of  Progress  —  Devil  a  Myth  — 
Conclusion. 

WE  believe  it  was  Mr.  Horn  wlio  said,  "  An  objec- 
tion can  be  stated  in  three  lines,  that  it  requires 
thirty  pages  to  answer."  Sucli  is  the  fact.  It  is  an 
easy  matter  to  object  to  any  tiling ;  but  when  a  position 

214 


THE   QUESTION    SETTLED.  215 

is  fairly  proved,  then  to  present  objections  shows  more 
frequently  the  stupidity  than  the  erudition  of  the  ob- 
jector. It  requires  no  learning,  logic,  or  tact  to  frame 
objections  ;  while  it  often  requires  even  more  than  demon- 
Hration  to  remove  them.  A  British  lord  could  prove 
that  it  was  impossible  for  a  boat  to  navigate  the  water 
without  the  aid  of  wind  or  tide  ;  and  so  positive  was  he 
in  his  objections,  and  they  were  based  on  such  absolute 
knowledge  (want  of  knowledge),  that  he  proposed  to 
eat  the  first  steamboat,  captain,  crew,  and  all  hands,  that 
crossed  the  Atlantic.  Men,  however,  nothing  daunted 
at  tlie  threat  of  this  old  musty  fogy,  launched  their  boats ; 
and,  even  to  tliis  day,  steamboats  float  on  British  waters. 

When  the  magnetic  telegraph  was  first  talked  of, 
there  were  thousands  of  persons  in  this  country  who 
could  prove  the  thing  impossible.  Long  hsts  of  objec- 
tions were  presented ;  "  the  letters  could  not  get  around 
or  through  the  posts."  Even  if  this  objection  could  be 
removed,  there  were  hundreds  of  others  quite  as  for- 
midable. The  telegraph,  even  including  the  Atlantic 
cable,  has  gone  into  successful  operation  ;  and  now  there 
is  hardly  a  man  in  the  world  who  did  not  always  know- 
it  could  be  done. 

Thirty  years  ago,  there  were  thousands  of  chui'ch  peo- 
ple who  could  prove  that  slavery  was  a  "  divine  in- 
stitution," and  abolitionism  an  insane,  infidel,  danger- 
ous heresy,  originating  under  the  direct  influence  of 
his  Satanic  Majesty,  and  leading  the  people  by  thousands 
to  the  bottomless  pit.  We  should  now  expect  objectors 
to  know  as  much  of  Spiritualism. 

To  a  few  of  the  most  popular  and  strong  objections, 
we  will  now  pay  our  respects. 


216  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED, 

Ohjcciion  No.\. — God  anciently  made  laws  againsi 
getting  knowledge  from  the  dead. 

The  precepts  to  which  objectors  refer  may  be  found 
in  the  followino;  words  :  — 

"  When  tlion  art  come  into  the  land  which  the  Lord 
thy  God  giveth  thee,  thou  shalt  not  learn  to  do  after  the 
abominations  of  those  nations.  There  shall  not  be  found 
among  you  any  one  that  maketh  his  son  or  liis  daughter 
to  pass  througli  the  fire,  or  that  useth  divination,  or  an 
observer  of  times,  or  an  enchanter,  or  a  witch,  or  a 
charmer^  or  a  considter  iviiJi  familiar  spirits^  or  a  tvizard, 
or  a  neeroynaneer.  For  all  that  do  these  thino^s  are  an 
abomination  unto  the  Lord  ;  and  because  of  these  abom- 
inations the  Lord  thy  God  doth  drive  them  out  from 
before  thee."  —  Deut.  xviii.  9-12. 

"Regard  not  them  that  have  familiar  spirits,  neither 
seek  after  wizards,  to  be  defiled  by  them :  I  am  the  Lord 
your  God."  —  Lev.  xix.  31. 

"  And  the  soul  that  turneth  after  such  as  have  familiar 
spirits,  and  after  wizards,  to  go  a  whoring  after  them,  I 
will  even  set  my  face  against  that  soul,  and  will  cut  him 
off  from  among  his  people."  — Lev.  xx.  6. 

''  And  when  they  shall  say  unto  you.  Seek  unto  them 
that  have  familiar  spirits,  and  unto  wizards  that  peep 
and  that  mutter ;  should  not  a  people  seek  unto  their 
God  ?  for  the  living  to  the  dead  ?  To  the  law  and  to 
the  testimony  :  if  they  speak  not  according  to  this  word, 
it  is  because  there  is  no  light  in  them."  —  Isa.  viii. 
19,  20. 

We  have  quoted  all  these  paragraphs  in  order  to  give 
the  reader  the  full  force  of  the  objection  ;  for,  if  we  can 
read  our  own  heart,  we  have  no  design  to  keep  back  a 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  21? 

word  or  tliouglit  that  could  in  any  way  assist  the  object- 
or. These  Scriptures  can  not  easily  be  misunderstood. 
The  first  paragraph  emphatically  forbids  necromancy,  or 
the  consulting  of  familiar  spirits.  Necromancy  comes 
from  two  Greek  words,  nekros^  which  means  ''  dead,"  and 
mantia,  the  definition  of  which  is  ''  divination."  Divina- 
tion, Webster  defines  as  follows  :  "  the  act  of  divining, 
a  foretelhng  of  future  events,  the  discovering  things 
secret  or  obscure  by  the  aid  of  superior  beings  or  by 
other  than  human  means." 

It  will  be  seen  by  these  definitions,  that  the  Mosaic 
law  forbade  those  under  its  jurisdiction  getting  knowl- 
edcre  from  the  dead. 

God  is,  or  is  not,  the  author  of  this  law :  if  he  is  not 
its  author,  it  should  no  more  be  quoted  as  authority  here 
than  thouo-h  it  occurred  in  the  Mohammedan  Koran. 
The  laws  ao-ainst  Salem  witchcraft  have  as  much  au 
thority  in  the  investigation  of  Spiritualism  as  this,  un 
less  God  is  directly  or  indirectly  its  author.  But,  if  God 
is  its  author,  it  follows  that  he  made  laws  against  obtain- 
ing knowledge  from  the  dead.  Now,  God  certainly  will 
not  be  accused  of  legislating  against  an  igjiisfatuus.  If, 
as  some  suppose,  the  dead  are  totally  unconscious,  there 
would  be  no  danger  of  people  holding  converse  with 
them  ;  hence  no  necessity  for  this  law.  If,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  dead  are  conscious,  but  can  not  hold  inter 
course  with  the  living,  there  would  be  no  necessity  for 
this  law.  Whether  the  law  is  opposed  to  modern  Spirit- 
ualism will  be  seen  as  we  proceed.  Two  things  are 
positively  settled  by  this  law. 

First,  the  Hebrews  were  inclined  to  apply  to  the  dead 
for  knowledge ;  else  there  would  have  been  no  necessity 


218  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

for  tills  enactment.  Paul  says,  "  The  law  is  made  for 
the  disobedient"  (1  Tim.  i.  9).  This  is  positive  proof 
that  they  knew  the  fact  of  spirit-intercourse,  and  some 
of  them  believed  in  its  utihty,  insomuch  that  it  was 
necessary  to  have  such  a  law. 

Second,  the  power  making  this  law  received  the  fact, 
or,  instead  of  this  law  accompanied  with  these  reasons, 
he  would  have  informed  them  of  their  mistake. 

AVhcrever  this  law  originated,  it  was  a  part  of  the 
law  which  was  only  "  added  because  of  transgression, 
until  the  seed  should  come"  (Gal.  iii.  19).  This  law 
has  been  found  unworthy  of  a  place  m  the  divine  econ- 
omy, and  is  among  the  things  which  have  been  abolished. 
(Eph.  ii.  15;  Col.  ii.  14.)  Is  it  possible  that  our  Chris- 
tian friends  are  going  to  arraign  and  condemn  Spiritual- 
ists for  violating  an  old  dead  Jewish  law  ?  If  Spiritual- 
ists are  guilty  of  a  great  crime  in  violating  that  law, 
what  shall  be  done  with  Christians  ?  for  the  law  is  not  any 
more  positive  in  forbidding  Spiritualism  than  in  its  pro- 
hibition of  working  on  Saturday ;  of  mixing  linen  and 
wool  too-ether  in  orarments  :  of  eatino;  of  swine's  flesh 
and  catfish.  (Ex.  xx.  10  ;  Lev.  xi.  7-11.)  This  same 
law  emphatically  forbids  a  man  to  mar  as  much  as  the 
corners  of  his  beard ;  but  many  Christians,  and  even 
ministers,  who  oppose  Spiritualism  because  of  precepts 
in  the  same  law,  shave  two  or  three  times  every  week 
of  their  lives.     See  Lev.  xix.  27. 

If  the  law  forbidding  spirit-communion  was  divine, 
and  of  lastino;  oblio;ation,  then  Jesus  broke  a  divine  law  ; 

O  CD  ' 

for  he  did  hold  a  tete-d-tete  with  Moses  and  Elias  after 
they  had  each  been  in  the  spirit-world  several  centuries. 
Paul  also  violated,  when  he  conversed  with  Jesus  after 


THE  QUESTION   SETTLED.  210 

he  Lad  spent  several  years  in  the  higher  life;  and  John, 
for  holdino;  a  conversation  witli  his  brotlier,  deserved  a 
punishment  no  less  than  death.  (Lev.  xx.  6.)  AVill 
the  objector,  for  the  sake  of  carrying  out  his  objection, 
accuse  all  the  New-Testament  saints  of  violating  the  law 
of  God? 

Now,  we  believe  there  are  reasons  (some  of  tliem 
good,  and  some  not  so  good)  for  giving  this  law.  If  tlie 
objector  should  hear  a  father  say  to  his  eight-year-old 
child,  "  You  shall  not  study  algebra,"  would  he,  from 
that,  conclude  that  the  father  was  opposed  to  the  study 
of  algebra,  or  only  that  the  child  was  not  yet  developed 
up  to  that  study  ;  that  minor  studies  must  be  conquered 
first  ?  And  what  would  you  think  of  the  child,  who,  ten 
years  after  the  father  had  said  he  should  not  study  alge- 
bra, upon  being  requested  by  his  teacher  to  enter  upon 
the  higher  branches  of  mathematics,  should  respond, 
"It's  wicked ;  my  father  forbade  it  long  ago  "  ? 

The  case  in  our  illustration  is  similar  to  the  one  pro- 
duced by  the  objector.  The  race  was  younger  then  than 
now,  and  was  not  educated  up  to  the  point  where  un- 
limited spirit-communication  would  not,  with  its  good, 
have  a  mixture  of  evil.  Men  in  those  days  beheved 
that  every  spirit  who  communicated  was  a  god  ;  indeed, 
this  was  the  way  Jehovah,  the  Jewish  God,  got  his  in- 
finity. We  can  not  see  how  any  one  can  read  the  de- 
scription of  the  person  and  character  of  this  God,  who 
presided  over  the  Hebrew  nation,  without  coming  to 
the  conclusion  that  he  was  either  a  myth  or  a  departed 
human  spirit.  It  is  to  be  doubted  whether  the  Jew^s 
would  not  have  been  a  better  people,  had  they  not  had 
sucli  implicit  confidence  in  their  Jehovah.     It  was  their 


220  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

God  who  said  to  Moses,  "  Avenge  the  children  of  Israel 
of  the  Jilidianites :  afterward  shalt  thou  be  gathered 
unto  thy  people."  —  Num.  xxxi.  2. 

This  God  (foes  on  mvinoi;  commands,  which  were  ful- 
filled  as  follows  :  — 

"  And  they  warred  against  the  INIidianites,  as  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses  ;  and  they  slew  all  the  males. 
And  they  slew  the  kings  of  Midian,  beside  the  rest  of 
them  that  were  slain ;  namely,  Evi  and  Rekem  and 
Zur  and  Hur  and  Reba,  five  kings  of  Midian  :  Balaam, 
also,  the  son  of  Beor,  they  slew  with  the  sword.  And 
the  children  of  Israel  took  all  the  women  of  Midian 
captives,  and  their  little  ones ;  and  took  the  spoil  of  all 
their  cattle,  and  all  then'  flocks,  and  all  their  goods. 
And  "they  burnt  all  their  cities  wherein  they  dwelt,  and 
all  their  goodly  castles,  with  fire."  —  Num.  xxxi.  7-10. 

Notwithstanding  this  wholesale  butchery,  and  burning 
of  cities,  the  Lord  was  in  a  rage  because  they  had  not 
been  more  heartless,  and  told  Moses  to  say,  — 

'•  Now,  therefore,  kill  every  male  among  the  little  ones, 
and  kill  every  woman  that  hath  known  man  by  lying 
with  him.  But  all  the  women-children  that  have  not 
known  a  man  by  lying  with  him,  keep  alive  for  your- 
selves."—  Num.  xxxi.  17,  18. 

The  reading  of  this  Scripture  shows  that  their  im- 
plicit confidence  in  their  God  led  them  to  commit  deeds 
of  darkness,  which,  left  to  themselves,  they  were  not 
bloodthirsty  enough  to  undertake.  This  is  proof  posi- 
tive, not  only  that  they  were  led  to  deeds  of  crime  by 
their  belief  in  tlie  infallibility  of  communications  coming 
from  their  Jehovah,  but  that  that  God  could  not  have 
be-.^n  the  Author  of  the  uni^'erse.     Undoubtedly,  a  lead- 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  221 

ing  reason  why  the  prohibition  against  seeking  the  dead 
for  knowledo-e  was  ^iven  could  be  found  in  the  follow- 
inn;  hni<iuao;e  :  — 

"  For  thou  shalt  worship  no  other  god  ;  for  the  Lord, 
whose  name  is  Jealous,  is  a  jealous  God.  Lest  thou 
make  a  covenant  w^itli  the  inhabitants  of  the  land,  and 
they  go  a  wdioring  after  their  gods,  and  do  sacrifice  unto 
their  gods,  and  one  call  thee,  and  thou  eat  of  his  sacri- 
fice ;  and  thou  take  of  their  daughters  unto  thy  sons,  and 
their  daughters  go  a  wdioring  after  their  gods,  and  make 
thy  sons  go  a  wdioring  after  their  gods."  —  Ex.  xxxiv. 
U-16. 

Here  the  gods  of  the  land  are  recognized  as  being 
gods  in  every  sense  that  this  jealous-hearted  Jewish 
God  can  claim  that  title.  The  God  of  wdiom  it  is  said, 
"  And  the  Lord  came  down  to  see  the  city  and  the 
tow^er  wdiich  the  children  of  men  builded"  (Gen.  xi.  6), 
is  not  the  Author  of  the  universe.  The  following  lan- 
guage is  a  better  description  of  a  bigoted,  jealous  hmnan 
spirit  than  of  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth  :  — 

"  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Go,  get  thee  down  ; 
for  thy  people,  which  thou  broughtest  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  have  corrupted  themselves  ;  they  have  turned 
aside  quickly  out  of  the  way  which  I  commanded  them  ; 
they  have  made  them  a  molten  calf,  and  have  worshiped 
it,  and  have  sacrificed  thereunto,  and  said.  These  be  th}' 
gods,  O  Israel,  which  have  brought  thee  up  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  I  have 
seen  this  people,  and,  behold,  it  is  a  stiifnecked  people : 
now,  therefore,  let  me  alone,  that  my  wrath  may  wax  hot 
against  them,  ai  d  that  1  may  consume  them  ;  and  I  w^ill 
make  of  thee  a  great  nation.      And  Moses    besought 


222  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

the  Lord  his  God,  and  said,  Lord,  Avhy  doth  thy  wrath 
wax  hot  against  thy  people,  Avhich  thou  hast  brought 
forth  out  of  tlie  land  of  Egy})t  with  great  power,  and 
witli  a  mighty  hand  ?  Wherefore  should  the  Egyptians 
speak,  and  say.  For  mischief  did  he  bring  them  out ;  to 
slay  them  in  the  mountains,  and  to  consume  them  from 
the  face  of  the  earth  ?  Turn  from  thy  fierce  wrath,  and 
repent  of  this  evil  against  thy  people.  Remember  Abra- 
liam,  Isaac,  and  Israel,  thy  servants,  to  whom  thou  swar- 
est  by  thine  own  self,  and  saidst  unto  them,  I  will  multi- 
ply your  seed  as  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  all  this  land 
that  I  have  spoken  of  I  will  give  unto  your  seed,  and 
they  shall  inherit  it  for  ever.  ,  And  the  Lord  repented 
of  the  evil  which  he  thought  to  do  unto  his  people."  — 
Ex.  xxxii.  7-14. 

No  one  now  worships  a  God  who  was  so  spiteful  and 
changeable  as  this  representation  of  the  Deity.  Moses, 
in  this  instance,  is  decidedly  the  superior  in  every  sense 
of  the  word.  God  acknowledges  it,  by  yielding  to  Moses' 
superior  wisdom,  and  not  doing  what  he  thought  he 
would  do  unto  his  people.  We  do  not  say  this  ignorant 
bigot,  calling  himself  God,  was  not  Jehovah  :  that,  for 
auiiiit  we  know,  midit  have  been  his  name ;  but  we  do 
.^ay  that  this  whiffling,  jealous  Deity  has  not  sense 
enough  to  govern  the  world.  This  is  abundantly  proved 
by  liis  changing  his  plan  of  action  in  obedience  to  the 
superior  wisdom  of  Moses. 

The  heathen  gods  were  once  men  upon  earth.  After 
passing  to  the  world  of  spirits,  and  returning  and  mani- 
festing themselves,  they  were  at  once  recognized  as 
deities,  and,  of  course,  esteemed  infallible.  Spiritual- 
ism, to-day,  would  do  more  harm  than  good  if  every 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  223 

Spiritualist  received  as  infallible  every  communication 
coming  from  that  source :  hence,  until  people  arrive  at 
the  position  where  they  can  take  the  spmts  as  JieJps, 
teacJiers,  not  masters^  they  are  not  pre])ared  for  com- 
munion with  them.  Let  authority  give  place  to  reason^ 
and  men  weigh  communications  from  the  other  shore 
as  they  do  advice  from  friends  here,  and  communications 
from  spii-its  can  do  no  more  harm  than  would  result 
from  friend  counselino;  with  friend  in  this  hfe. 

The  Jews,  quite  as  much  as  any  other  nation,  were 
inclined  to  worship  every  spirit  that  communicated. 
Abraham  and  Lot  each  bowed  to  the  earth  before  the 
angels  which  came  to  them.  When  an  angel,  who  w^as 
emphatically  called  a  man,  appeared  to  Joshua,  the 
record  says,  — 

"  And  Joshua  fell  on  his  face  to  the  earth,  and  did 
worship,  and  said  unto  him.  What  saith  my  lord  unto 
his  servant  ?  "  —  Josh.  v.  14. 

When  Peter  saw  Moses  and  Elias  on  the  mount,  his 
first  exclamation  was,  — 

"  Lord,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here :  if  thou  wilt,  let 
us  make  here  three  tabernacles  ;  one  for  thee,  and  one 
for  Moses,  and  one  for  Elias."  —  Matt.  xvii.  4. 

As  much  as  to  say,  ''  When  we  would  worship  you, 
we  would  go  into  one  of  these  tabernacles ;  when  we 
would  worship  Moses,  we  would  go  into  another;  and, 
when  we  would  worship  Elias,  we  would  go  into  an- 
other." When  John  saw  his  brother  a  prophet,  he  fell 
at  his  feet  to  worship  him.  With  that  idea,  the  Spirit- 
ualism of  to-day  would  lead  to  idolatry,  and  hence  be 
wrong ;  but  Spiritualists  have  advanced  to  where  they 
can  treat  their  spirit-friends  as  familiar  friends,  and  yet 


224  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

not  receive  them  us  autliority.  Witli  this  advancement, 
we  claim  that  spirit-communion  can  not  result  in  harm : 
those  who  have  not  o-ot  so  far  alono;  would  do  well  to 
let  it  alone. 

The  law  forbidding  spirit-communion  had  its  evil  as 
well  as  its  good  results.  While  it  may  have  kept  the 
Jews  from  idolatry,  and  some  other  crimes  that  they 
otherwise  might  have  committed,  it  drove  many  of  their 
best  minds  into  the  most  gross  materialism.  Had  they 
been  permitted  to  consult  the  dead,  their  best  writers 
never  could  have  said,  — 

"  For  the  living  know  that  they  shall  die :  but  the 
dead  know  not  any  thing,  neither  have  they  any  more 
a  reward ;  for  the  memory  of  them  is  forgotten.  Also 
their  love,  and  their  hatred,  and  their  envy,  is  now  per- 
ished ;  neither  have  they  any  more  a  portion  for  ever 
in  anything  that  is  done  under  the  sun."  —  Eccl.  ix. 

Solomon  was  not  the  only  writer  who  occasionally 
gave  utterance  to  such  infidel  sentiments.  Job  and 
David  more  than  once  utter  the  same  ;  but  Elihu,  both 
a  clairvoyant  and  clairaudient  medium,  says, — 

"  Now  a  thing  was  secretly  brought  to  me,  and  mine 
ear  received  a  little  thereof.  In  thoughts  from  the  vis- 
ions of  the  night,  when  deep  sleep  falleth  on  men,  fear 
came  upon  nic,  and  trembling,  which  made  all  my  bones 
to  shake.  Then  a  spirit  passed  before  my  face;  the 
hair  of  my  flesh  stood  up :  it  stood  still,  but  I  could  not 
discern  the  form  thereof:  an  image  was  before  mine 
eyes,  there  was  silence,  and  I  heard  a  voice,  saying. 
Shall  mortal  man  be  more  just  than  God  ?  shall  a  man 
be  more  pure  than  his  Maker  ?    Behold,  he  put  no  trust 


THE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  225 

in  liis  servants ;  and  his  angels  he  charged  with  folly : 
how  much  less  in  them  that  dwell  in  houses  of  clay, 
whose  foundation  is  in  the  dust,  which  are  crushed  be- 
fore the  moth?"— Job  iv.  12-19. 

This  "  spirit  which  passed  before  his  face,"  causing 
him  to  quake  and  tremble,  as  hundreds  of  mediums  now 
do,  taught  him  the  important  lesson  that  men  are  not 
clay,  but  "  dwell  in  houses  of  clay."  Thus  all  can  see 
the  result,  on  the  one  hand,  of  spirit-communion,  and, 
on  the  other,  of  its  prohibition.  All  the  texts  usually 
produced  by  materialists  to  prove  the  dead  unconscious 
are  the  result  of  the  enactment  against  Spiritualism,  and 
consequent  non-intercourse  with  the  dead. 

Objection  No.  2.  —  The  Bible  says,  — 

"  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Stand  ye  in  the  ways,  and  see, 
and  ask  for  the  old  paths,  where  is  the  good  way,  and 
walk  therein,  and  ye  shall  find  rest  for  your  souls."  — 
Jer.  vi.  16. 

It  does  not  do  to  forsake  the  "  old  paths."  Spiritual- 
ism is  new ;  if  true,  it  should  have  been  discovered 
prior  to  the  nineteenth  century. 

It  sounds  a  Httle  strange  to  hear  this  objection  urged 
by  the  same  speaker,  and  almost  in  the  same  breath 
with  the  one  just  noticed.  Many  of  the  opponents  of 
Spiritualism  seem  to  have  lost  their  regard  for  consist- 
ency, if  not  for  truth.  In  one  breath.  Spiritualism  is  an 
old  sm  God  was  compelled  more  than  three  thousand 
years  ago  to  put  down  by  legislation ;  in  the  next  it  is 
something  new,  and  for  that  reason  they  have  gone  to 
work  with  such  zeal  to  tear  it  to  pieces  that  one  would 
almost  think  they  would  pluck  a  new  moon  from  the 
heavens  if  it  were  in  tlieir  power  to  do  so.    Consistency 

15 


226  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

is  too  rare  a  jewel  to  come  into  general  use  among 
those  who  have  enlisted  in  the  battle  against  the  angel- 
world.  If  Spirituahsm  is  an  invention  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  the  last  delusion  of  the  Devil,  God  did  not 
make  laws  against  it  in  the  days  of  Moses.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  laws  were  made  against  it  then,  the  ob- 
jection of  "new  things"  is  ad  cajotajidum. 

Has  the  objector  ever  considered  that  there  are  swords 
that  have  two  edges  ?  that,  when  persons  go  it  blind, 
they  occasionally  catch  an  argument  by  the  blade,  and 
cut  their  own  fino;ers  ?     Such  is  the  fact  in  this  case. 

Suppose  Spiritualism  to  be  a  child  of  the  nineteenth 
century :  the  argument  of  new  things  weighed  as  heavily 
against  Jesus  and  his  associates  as  it  now  does  against 
Spiritualism.  Christianity  was  so  new  in  the  days  of 
Paul,  that  it  is  said  of  certain  philosophers, — 

"  And  they  took  him,  and  brought  him  unto  Areop- 
agus, saying.  May  we  know  what  this  new  doctrine 
whereof  thou  speakest  is  ?  For  thou  bringest  certain 
strange  things  to  our  ears :  we  would  know,  therefore, 
what  these  things  mean.  For  all  the  Athenians,  and 
strangers  which  were  there,  spent  their  time  in  nothing 
else,  but  either  to  tell  or  to  hear  some  new  thing."  — 
Acts  xvii.  19-21. 

Every  thing  had  a  beginning,  and  was  new  in  the 
days  of  its  infancy.  We  remember  to  have  heard  a 
learned  professor  say,  "  Monkeys  existed  before  men, 
and  fishes  are  older  than  philosophers."  Protestant- 
i!;m  in  the  days  of  Martin  Luther  was  new,  and  Catholi- 
cism was  old;  what  Protestant  thence  concludes  his 
own  religion  false,  and  Catholicism  true  ? 

Had  the  "  old  path  "  argument  used  by  our  Catholic 


IHE   QUESTION  SETTLED.  227 

fathers  had  the  desired  effect,  there  would  not  have 
been  a  Protestant  in  the  world  to-day.  Ministers  who 
are  now  preaching  against  Spirituahsm  because  of  its 
novelty,  would,  in  that  case,  have  been  confessing  their 
sins  to  a  Catholic  priest,  and  we  to-day  would  have  been 
eating  the  actual  body  and  drinking  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Cln^ist,  and  enduring  a  tyranny  such  as  is  only  known 
within  the  limits  of  the  ''  Eternal  City." 

When  Martin  Luther  first  made  his  discoveries,  Lu- 
theranism  was  new,  and,  per  consequence,  every  follower 
of  Martin  Luther  Avas  either  a  knave,  fool,  or  fanatic, 
as  could  be  proved  by  every  Catholic  priest  in  the  Old 
World.  Lutheranism,  however,  spread,  notwithstanding 
the  barking  of  Catholic  dogs.  A  century  was  quite 
sufficient  to  kill  the  cry  of  "  Novelty ;  "  and  Protestantism 
could  be  respected  and  venerated  because  of  its  age. 
Lutheranism  is  not  alone  ;  other  religious  theories  must 
run  the  same  gantlet.  When  Methodism  first  began  to 
force  itself  upon  the  people,  it,  too,  Avas  a  new  invention 
of  the  Devil  to  lead  fanatics  to  hell :  this  could  be  proved 
by  every  Roman  Catholic,  Presbyterian,  or  Baptist  in 
the  land.  Methodism  has  lived  a  century  ;  and,  as  a  re- 
sult, those  who  abominated  it,  and  would  have  sent  every 
"  fanatical  Methodist "  to  hell  (but  words  could  not  do 
it),  now  respect  it  as  "  our  sister  church." 

If  all  the  theories  in  the  world  have  lived  through 
the  warfare  against  new  things,  we  will  risk  but  that 
Spiritualism  will  take  deeper  root  and  grow  more  healthy 
and  beautiful  as  a  result  of  this  attack. 

Now,  admitting  that  Spii^itualism  is  new,  is  its  novelty 
against  its  truth  ?  We  think  not.  Men  existed  on  the 
earth  at  least   one  hundred  and  ffty  thousand  years 


228  THE   QUESTION  SETTLED. 

before  they  learned  to  communicate  witli  each  other  by 
means  of  the  electric  telegraph  ;  yet  who  refused  to  re- 
ceive the  news  of  Lee's  surrender,  because,  a  century 
since,  it  would  have  taken  it  a  month  to  go  from  Rich- 
mond to  Chicago  ?  Persons  will  accept  of  improvements 
everywhere  except  in  religious  matters  :  how  strange ! 
Are  all  who  have  died  fools  ?  Supposing  they  could 
not  have  communicated  prior  to  1848  :  men  in  this  world 
have  made  many  discoveries  since  that  time  ;  may  not 
those  on  the  other  side  have  discovered  something  ? 
Mesmer,  who  discovered  the  science  of  mesmerism,  and 
Benjamin  Franklin,  who  taught  men  how  to  control  the 
liohtnino",  are  each  in  the  land  of  the  so-called  dead. 
Now,  while  Prof.  Morse  was  discovering  and  perfecting 
a  new  mode  of  communication  between  mortals,  why 
can  not  Kewton,  Franklin,  and  others  discover  a  plan 
by  which  the  dead  and  living  can  converse  ?  Certainly 
such  a  discovery  would  be  of  vast  importance  ;  then  why 
object  ? 

But  Spiritualism  is  not  new :  it  is  traced  through  all 
time,  and  found  among  all  people.  We  have  not  the 
space  here  to  devote  to  this  proposition.  The  reader 
who  is  curious  to  look  into  this  department  of  the  sub- 
ject is  requested  to  go  or  send  to  the  bookstore  of 
Colby  &  Rich,  No.  9  Montgomery  Place,  Boston,  and 
get  some  of  their  numerous  books  on  this  question. 

It  Is  enough  for  us  here  to  say  that  phenomenal  Spir- 
itualism was  patent  in  the  days  of  Luther.  Who  has 
not  read  the  account  of  Luther  seizing  and  throwing  an 
Inkstand  at  a  spirit  whom  he  supposed  to  be  the  Devil  ? 
The  manifestations  in  the  Wesley  family,  an  account  of 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  229 

which  John  Wesley  himself  records,  were  quite  equal 
to  those  occurring  in  the  family  of  John  D.  Fox.  'Dr. 
Adam  Clarke,  Carvosso,  and  other  Methodist  divines, 
record  as  wonderful  spirit-manifestations  as  there  are  in 
the  year  18G9. 

Objection  JVo.  3.  —  These  manifestations  are  from  the 
Devil.     Paul  says,  — 

"  Even  him  whose  commg  is  after  the  working  of 
Satan,  with  all  power  and  signs  and  lying  wonders."  — 
2  Thess.  ii.  9. 

John  says,  — 

"  They  are  spirits  of  devils,  working  miracles,  which 
go  forth  unto  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  of  the  whole 
world,  to  the  battle  of  the  great  day  of  God  Almighty." 
—  Rev.  xyi.  14. 

The  charge  of  demoniac  possession,  Kke  the  "  new 
things  "  ai'gument,  is  an  old  one.  When  John  the  Bap- 
tist commenced  his  work,  the  popular  church  said,  "  He 
hath  a  devil"  (Matt.  xi.  18).  When  Jesus  came, 
speaking  as  never  man  spake,  and  doing  as  never  man 
did,  a  hypocritical  church  said,  "  This  fellow  doth  not 
cast  out  devils  but  by  Beelzebub  the  prince  of  the 
devils."  — Matt.  xii.  24. 

Jesus  gave  his  followers  to  understand  that  this  ever 
would  be  the  case.  He  said,  "  If  they  have  called 
the  master  of  the  house  Beelzebub,  how  much  more 
shall  they  call  them  of  his  household?"  —  Matt.  x.  25. 

With  this  warning  in  advance,  and  a  knowledge  that 
our  predecessors  in  every  work  of  reform  have  endured 
the  same  charge,  we  are  bold  to  endure  such  charges. 
If  the  Church  of  all  ages  can  be  believed,  the  Devil  has 
originated  and  put  into  successful,  operation  eveiy  re- 


230  THE   QUESTION   SETTLED. 

form,  and  tliat  in  spite  of  tlie  Church,  wliich  has  ever 
been  faithful  to  warn  its  dupes  that  every  reformer  was 
tlie  especial  agent  of  his  Satanic  Majesty. 

Accordino;  to  the  church  of  Jesus'  time  he  had  a  devil : 
but  lie  and  his  devil  succeeded  in  putting  liis  work  into 
successful  operation,  and  matters  went  on  swimmingly, 
until  they  succeeded  in  calling  out  a  large  party  of  fol- 
lowers ;  but,  in  pro])ortion  as  they  increased  in  numbers 
and  i^ower,  they  became  corrupt,  until  the  so-called 
Christian  Church  became  so  terribly  wicked,  that  the 
Devil  would  have  nothing  further  to  do  with  it.  His 
Majesty  left  them  to  "  paddle  their  own  canoe,"  and 
bciian  anon  to  work  through  heretics,  who  were  com- 
pelled,  on  account  of  their  good  works,  to  leave  the 
Church. 

During  the  whole  period  known  as  the  dark  ages, 
there  was  not  a  martyr  burned  at  the  stake,  but  that  was 
under  the  influence  of  the  Devil.  That  word  "  devil " 
has  always  served  as  a  scapegoat  to  pack  its  ignorance 
and  hatred  of  progress  on.  It  requires  no  tact  or  learn- 
ing to  say  "  devil,"  and  it  often  does  to  explain  various 
phenomena  hidden  behind  that  word.  This  is,  perhaps, 
the  main  reason  why  the  old  gentleman  has  had  so  much 
to  carry.  Even  Martin  Luther  told  his  followers  that  the 
Copernican  system  of  astronomy,  including  the  rotun- 
dity of  the  earth,  was  directly  from  the  Devil. 

The  telescope  was  of  satanic  origin.  The  first  fan- 
nino;-mill  was  "  a  wicked  invention  to  raise  the  Devil's 
wind."  The  inventor  was  informed,  that,  if  he  wanted 
to  separate  his  wheat  and  chaff,  he  should  get  down 
upon  his  knees,  and  ask  God  to  send  him  a  good  dispen- 
sation of  air ;  or,  if  not  humble  enough  to  do   that,  to 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  231 

patiently  wait  until  God  in  Lis  mercy  chose  to  send  him 
wind.  Notwithstanding  the-  windmill  was  the  Devil's 
invention,  it  soon  gained  such  a  hold  on  the  populace, 
that  a  Preshyterian  could,  without  any  scruples  of  con- 
science, eat  bread  made  of  the  wheat  which  had  passed 
through  the  Devil's  windmill.  We  would  not  be  under- 
stood as  representing  that  the  Church  sanctioned  or  even 
tolerated  such  impiety.  It  did  not.  Ever  faithful  to 
its  duty,  the  Church  disfellowshiped  every  member  who 
had  so  far  followed  his  diabolical  leadership  as  to  eat  the 
bread  made  of  wheat  which  bad  been  cleansed  by  this 
"infernal  machine."  Alas  for  the  weakness  of  man ! 
how  soon  is  he  led  astray !  The  Devil's  windmill  has 
become  so  popular,  that  ministers  use  bread,  even  in  the 
communion  service,  that  was  made  of  the  w^heat  which 
had  gone  through  the  Devil's  windmill.  Thus  the  Devil 
always  carries  the  day. 

The  man  who  first  apphed  water  to  the  propelhng  of 
a  sawmill  ^^as  put  to  death  for  being  in  league  with 
the  Devil.  The  first  printing-press  was  invented  and 
run  by  the  Devil.  It  was  the  Devil,  who,  through  Har- 
vey, discovered  the  circulation  of  the  blood.  This  same 
Devil  enabled  Michael  Servetus  to  discover  that  a  mathe- 
matical impossibility  could  not  be  a  theological  truth. 
When  this  agent  of  his  Majesty  the  Devil  was  told  that 
in  the  Godhead  there  were  three  persons  at  leasts  and 
only  one  at  most^  he  Avas  Inclined  to  doubt  it,  and  won- 
dered if  that  would  not  lead  to  the  idea  of  three  Gods. 
"  Oh,  no  !  "  the  response  was  :  ''  there  is  but  one  God,  and 
he  is  made  of  three  distinct  individualities."  —  "  Well, 
taking  either  of  these  three  separately,  would  he  be  a 
God,  an  angel,  or  a  man  ?  "     His  questions  were  too 


232  THE  QUESTION   SETTLED. 

well  put :  none  but  a  Devil  could  invent  such  questions. 
When  he  was  asked  to  sino;,  — 

"  Have  faith  the  same, 

With  endless  shame, 
For  all  the  human  race ; 

For  hell  is  crammed 

With  infants  damned, 
Without  a  day  of  grace," 

he  dared  to  question  the  truth  of  the  song,  and  the  pro- 
priety of  singing  it.  He  was  at  once  set  down  for  a 
Devil-possessed  heretic,  and  condemned  to  death.  John 
Calvin,  after  signing  his  death-warrant,  led  the  mob  that 
burned  him  over  a  slow  fire,  for  the  crime  of  disputing 
old  theories.  As  usual,  the  Devil  in  this  was  successful. 
The  whole  world  now  acknowledsfe  that  Servetus  was 
rij^ht,   and  Calvin  and  his  horde  of  bigoted  followers 


wrono;. 


"  The  world  goes  round  and  round, 
The  genial  seasons  run, 
And  ever  the  truth  comes  uppermost, 
And  ever  is  justice  done." 

It  was  in  the  present  century  that  ministers  came  out 
m  long  printed  statements  (for  by  this  time  the  Devil 
had  made  his  printing-press  popular  enough  for  theii 
use)  to  prove  that  vaccination  to  prevent  small-pox 
was  an  invention  of  the  Devil  to  change  men  to  a  kmd 
of  quadruped ;  that  vaccination  would  surely  result  in 
producing  horns  on  the  heads  of  those  who  submitted 
to  any  such  f  atanic  operation  to  prevent  this  dreaded 
contagion,  llie  Devil  originated  the  science  of  geology, 
set  on  foot  the  abolition  movement ;  in  fact,  has  led 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  233 

every  band  of  reformers  in  the  world.  Now,  liis  last 
great  work  is  in  Spiritualism.  All  we  have  to  say  is, 
Let  him  work.  He  has  ever  proved  himself  right,  and 
we  have  confidence  to  believe  it  ever  will  be  thus ;  that 
is,  if  he  has  figured  as  largely  in  every  new  movement 
as  he  has  been  accused  of  doincr. 

Now,  admitting  for  the  sake  of  the  argument,  the 
existence,  power,  and  malignity  of  this  almighty  Devil, 
how  is  the  fact  to  be  harmonized  with  the  existence, 
power,  wisdom,  and  goodness  of  our  loving  Father  ? 
Whatever  may  be  said  of  Spiritualists  now,  millions  of 
them  were  once  honest  and  earnest  praying  Christians. 
For  years  and  years,  they  made  it  their  daily  duty  to 
turn  to  their  God  and  Bible :  they  have  read  again  and 
again, — 

"  And  I  say  unto  you.  Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you ; 
seek,  and  ye  shall  find  ;  knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened 
unto  you.  For  every  one  that  asketh,  receiveth  ;  and 
he  that  seeketh,  findetli ;  and  to  him  that  knocketli  it 
shall  be  opened.  If  a  son  shall  ask  bread  of  any  of  you 
that  is  a  father,  will  he  give  him  a  stone  ?  or,  if  he  ask 
a  fish,  will  he  for  a  fish  give  him  a  serpent?  or,  if  he 
shall  ask  an  Qgg^  will  he  offer  him  a  scorpion  ?  If  ye 
then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto  your 
children ;  how  much  more  shall  your  heavenly  Father 
give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him?" — Luke 
xi.  9-13. 

Is  this  the  way  the  All-Father  has  answered  their 
prayers  after  telling  them  that  if  they  would  ask 
they  should  receive  ?  They  have  prayed  earnestly  for 
the  Holy  Ghost,  have  ever  been  willing  to  take  this 
prayer-hearing  God  at  his  word ;  and  God  has  answered 


234  THE  QUESTION  SETTLED. 

their  prayer  by  opening  the  infernal  regions^  and  peopling 
the  air  witli  quintilUons  of  devils,  whose  only  object  is 
to  deceive  and  lead  the  elect  to  hell,  our  ano-el-friends 
meantime  being  shut  up  in  heaven,  away  from  earth, 
weeping  to  see  us  deluded  by  deceiving  spirits,  and  that 
in  answer  to  our  most  sincere  and  devout  prayers  a 
tliousand  times  repeated.  Is  this  the  God  our  opposers 
worship  ?  Is  faith  such  a  heartless  cheat,  baring  the 
back  tlius  for  the  Devil's  rod  ?  In  Heaven's  name,  if. 
God  is  such  a  knave  as  this  idea  represents,  it  is  well  to 
serve  the  Devil !  We  would  not  worship  such  a  God  if 
we  could,  and  certainly  could  not  if  we  would.  That 
father  who  hands  out  myriads  of  scorpions  and  vipers  to 
his  weeping,  starving  children,  is  an  angel  of  light  com- 
pared with  this  treacherous  knave  called  God,  who  thus 
deceives  his  trustino;  children. 

Nay,  we  will  go  farther,  and  apply  this  argument  even 
to  the  existence  of  his  Satanic  Majesty.  If  the  Devil 
exists,  he  exists  either  by  the  will  and  power  of  G  od  or 
contrary  to  it.  If  he  exists  by  the  power  of  God,  then 
God  is  responsible  for  all  of  his  actions  :  he  permits  him 
to  act  when  he  could  prevent  it.  We  consider  ourself 
responsible  for  all  the  evil  there  is  in  the  world  which  we 
could  prevent :  so  of  God.  But  if  Satan  is  eternal  and 
almvjldij^  if  he  exists  contrary  to  the  will  of  God, 
then  God  lacks  either  the  power  or  wisdom  to  prevent 
the  Devil  deceivino^  and  leadiner  the  world  to  hell.  In 
one  case,  God  is  wicked ;  in  the  other,  weak. 

If  the  Church  has  been  wrong  in  its  cry  of  "  Devil !  " 
after  every  reform,  it  may  be  in  this.  If,  on  the  other 
hand,  it  was  right,  then  -"ve  are  proud  of  our  leader :  he 
has  proved  himsell  right  in  every  instance,  and  we  will 


THE   QUESTION   SETTLED.  235 

trust  him  in  this.  Progress  is  tlie  order  of  tlie  day ;  and 
one  only  needs  to  read  his  liistorj  to  be  convinced  that 
he  is  not  only  a  progressionist,  but  the  author  of  progress. 
Commencing  with  liis  first  work,  which  was  to  open  the 
eyes  of  a  pair  of  poor  bUnd  idiots  in  the  garden  of  Eden, 
and  teach  them  to  know  good  from  evil,  and  endino- 
the  drama  with  SpirituaKsm,  we  indorse  every  act  of 
his.  We  are  proud  to-day  to  take  our  position  beside 
"  Michael  the  archangel,"  and  not  bring  a  "  raihng  ac- 
cusation against  him."  May  he  long  live  to  put  in 
motion  all  the  latent  machinery  of  human  progress  ! 

Reader,  we  can  not  close  this  chapter  without  saying, 
in  all  candor,  your  Devil  is  only  a  myth.  Give  the 
frontal  brain  the  control  of  the  back  brain,  and  all  the 
devils  and  satyrs  will  flee.  They  can  not  stand  before 
well-developed  causality  and  comparison. 

That  reader  and  writer  may  be  enabled  to  resist  all 
the  devils  growing  out  of  a  "  lack  of  knowledge  ;  "  that 
we  may  be  enabled  to  see  the  hand  of  God  in  the  wide 
field  of  human  progress,  and  co-operate  with  the  powers 
beyond  in  leading  the  people  out  of  the  devilish  bond- 
age of  ignorance  and  superstition,  we  most  earnestly 
pray. 


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